The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) announced on Tuesday the discovery of 122 illegal oil refining sites across the Niger Delta region within the past week.
This revelation is part of the company’s ongoing efforts to combat oil theft and vandalism in the oil-rich region.
In a documentary released by NNPCL, it was disclosed that 65 illegal pipeline connections were uncovered and dismantled in Rivers State and other parts of the Niger Delta.
The company recorded 310 incidents related to oil theft and vandalism between May 18 and 24.
The illegal refineries were located in various areas, including Tomble II, III, IV, and Umuajuloke in Rivers State, as well as Oporomor III, Eduwini, and Ajatiton in Bayelsa State.
Additionally, vandalized wellheads were discovered in Tomble IV, Rivers State, and Egbema in Imo State. A pit filled with crude oil from a vandalized wellhead was also found.
Furthermore, NNPCL identified five illegal storage sites where oil was stored in sacks, pits, cans, and even a filling station. The company seized a total of 20 vehicles, including a tanker, in Delta and Imo states.
Additionally, 29 boats used for transporting crude oil or illegally refined products were confiscated across several creeks in Bayelsa and Delta states. In connection with these activities, 33 suspects have been arrested.
One filling station in Akwa Ibom State was sealed for selling illegally refined fuel. This filling station, located at Grey Creek, was involved in distributing illicitly refined petroleum to motorists.
This crackdown follows a statement from NNPCL Group Chief Executive Officer Mele Kyari, who emphasized the critical need to address security challenges in the oil and gas sector to boost production.
Kyari highlighted the ongoing struggle with oil theft and vandalism, which significantly hampers the nation’s crude oil production.
Kyari stated, “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.”
He added, “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.”
