The
Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) has said it has uncovered
no fewer than 83 illegal refineries in the Niger Delta in the past one week.
The
NNPCL disclosed this on its X handle, as part of its war against crude oil
theft, adding that 15 illegal pipeline connections were also discovered within
the same period.
“In
the past week, 15 illegal pipeline connections and 83 illegal refineries have
been uncovered in the Niger Delta,” the NNPCL said.
According
to a video shared with the post, it was disclosed that between January 6 and
12, a total of 211 incidents of oil theft and vandalism were reported.
The
NNPCL also said 15 illegal pipeline connections were also discovered within the
same period.
NNPCL
in a documentary shared on X, stated that between January 6 and 12, 2023, a
total of 211 incidents of oil theft and vandalism were reported.
It
said 15 illegal pipeline connections were also discovered within the same
period, adding that it inspected an illegal crude oil vessel loaded with
thousands of metric tons of crude, while 23 crew members onboard the vessel were
arrested.
This
was disclosed in a post on its official X handle, noting that the move was part
of efforts by the company and its partners to end the threat of crude oil
theft.
It
said: “Earlier today, the Group CEO (Chief Executive Officer) of NNPC Ltd, Mr
Mele Kyari, and the Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa, were in
Oporoza, Warri, Delta State, to inspect MT Kali, an illegal crude oil vessel
loaded with thousands of metric tons of crude oil.”
It
stated that the vessel was intercepted by Tantita Security Services, a private
security firm, in collaboration with the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence
Corps, “while it was loading directly from an offshore platform in Bayelsa
State.”
The
national oil company added that “all 23 crew members onboard the illegal vessel
have been arrested.”
According
to NNPCL, during the inspection tour of the illegal vessel, General Musa said
that the military remained committed to working with the national oil firm and
other government and private security agencies to halt the menace of crude oil
theft in the Niger Delta.
He
was quoted as saying: “We are committed to stopping all acts of criminality in
Nigerian waters. We are also sounding a note of warning to the perpetrators of
this crime that enough is enough.
“The country is bleeding and we need all funds
to develop as a nation. It is by stopping these acts of criminality that we
will be able to achieve that dream”.
The
oil firm stated in another post on X, that it uncovered 83 illegal refineries
in the Niger Delta region in the past one week.
It
said 15 illegal pipeline connections were also discovered within the same
period.
Earlier,
the company revealed that it discovered 52 illegal refineries in the Niger Delta
region in the past one week.
It
also stated that 32 illegal pipeline connections were uncovered, at the time
the 52 illegal refineries were destroyed in the Niger Delta.
“Between
December 30, 2023 and January 5, 2024, 157 (oil theft) incidences were recorded
from several incident sources, including Nigeria Agip Oil Company, 62
incidents; Pipeline Infrastructure Nigeria Limited, 29; Maton Engineering
Limited, 18; Tantita Security Services, 8; Shell Petroleum Development Company,
4; NNPCL Command and Control Centre, 2; and Government Security Agencies,
24,” the company stated.
It
explained that in the past week, the 52 illegal refineries were discovered in
Abia, Imo, Rivers and Bayelsa states, adding that the 32 illegal connections
were uncovered in several parts of the Niger Delta, including Bayelsa, Rivers
and Delta states.
The
company said illegal connections were also removed and repaired along the
central corridor in the Niger Delta, while seven illegal storage sites were
uncovered in Akwa Ibom State, where buried drums of crude oil were unearthed.
Leave Comments