According to the documentary, 69 illegal connections were discovered and disconnected in Bayelsa and Rivers States
By Nydra Ayibapreye
In its fight against crude oil theft over the past week, the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) reported uncovering 165 illegal refineries in various locations across the Niger Delta.
A documentary by NNPCL, recorded between June 15 and 21 and seen by Waffi TV, revealed that about 400 incidents of oil theft and vandalism were reported by both government and private security agencies.
According to the documentary, 69 illegal connections were discovered and disconnected in Bayelsa and Rivers States. Additionally, eight cases of oil spills caused by vandalism or illegal connections were reported across the region.
In Warri, Delta State, an illegal loading point was discovered. NNPCL also reported that 69 illegal refineries were uncovered and dismantled in various swamps in Okrika, Rivers State, and the construction of an ‘oven’ for illegal crude oil refining was halted.
Similar refining sites were uncovered in different locations in Abia and Bayelsa States. NNPCL disclosed that 19 illegal storage sites filled with stolen crude and illegally refined products were found in Delta, Imo, Rivers, Abia, and Bayelsa States. Moreover, 11 vehicles were seized in Delta, Akwa-Ibom, and Bayelsa States, and 39 boats transporting stolen crude were confiscated in Rivers, Delta, and Bayelsa States. Eight individuals were arrested in connection with these incidents.
This development comes amidst declining crude oil production and Nigeria’s inability to meet its 1.5 million barrels per day OPEC quota. Recently, NNPCL Group Chief Executive Officer, Mele Kyari, emphasized the need to combat insecurity in the oil and gas sector, noting that the nation’s crude oil production continues to drop due to theft and vandalism.
He said, “How do you increase oil production? Remove the security challenge we have in our onshore assets. As we all know, the security challenge is real. It is not just about theft; it is about the availability of the infrastructure to deliver the volume to the market.
“No one is going to put money into oil production when he knows the production will not get to the market. Within the last two years, we removed over 5,800 illegal connections from our pipelines. We took down over 6,000 illegal refineries. You simply cannot get people to put money until you solve that problem.”
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