The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) has reported the discovery of 122 illegal oil refining sites across the Niger Delta region over the past week. This effort is part of the company’s ongoing battle against oil theft and vandalism.
In a documentary released on Tuesday, the NNPCL detailed its recent activities, revealing that 65 illegal pipeline connections were uncovered and removed in Rivers State and other areas within the oil-rich Niger Delta. Additionally, a filling station in Akwa Ibom State was sealed for selling illegally refined fuel.
The NNPCL disclosed that 310 incidents related to oil theft and vandalism were recorded between May 18 and 24. The illegal refineries were identified in locations such as Tomble II, III, IV, Umuajuloke in Rivers State, and Oporomor III, Eduwini, and Ajatiton in Bayelsa State. Vandalized wellheads were also discovered in Tomble IV, Rivers, and Egbema in Imo State, with a pit filled with crude oil from a vandalized wellhead also being found.
Furthermore, the energy company reported the discovery of five illegal storage sites containing oil stored in sacks, pits, cans, and even a filling station. Twenty vehicles, including a tanker, were seized in Delta and Imo states, while 29 boats 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.
Mele Kyari, the NNPCL Group Chief Executive Officer, has recently highlighted the critical need to address insecurity in the oil and gas sector to boost production. He emphasized that the ongoing issues of oil theft and vandalism are significant contributors to the decline in 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. 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.”
The NNPCL’s recent efforts underscore the ongoing struggle to secure Nigeria’s oil production infrastructure and combat the pervasive issue of illegal oil activities in the Niger Delta.
