THERE was relative calm at the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) yesterday following expectations, as some senior officials of the corporation, including the Group Managing Director, Dr. Joseph Dawha, departed for Vienna, Austria, for the 167th (ordinary) OPEC meeting.

The delegation is led by the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Petroleum Resources, Dr. Jemila Shua’ra. The OPEC meeting started on Wednesday with an international seminar, with “Petroleum – An Engine Room of Global Development” as theme.

Shua’ra is expected to play multiple roles as OPEC governor, president and head of Nigeria’s delegation to the meeting, having assumed OPEC Presidency because Nigeria does not have a substantive Minister of Petroleum Resources presently.

The immediate past Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke, was elected president of the oil cartel during its meeting last November.