The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited stated that had discovered additional 165 illicit refineries in various areas around the Niger Delta, in the past week.
According to an NNPCL documentary, between June 15 and 21, government and private security services reported around 400 cases of oil theft and vandalism.
It was reported that 69 unlawful connections were identified and disconnected in Bayelsa and Rivers states.
It highlighted that eight incidences of oil spills caused by vandalism or unauthorized connection had been documented around the region.
According to reports, an unlawful loading point was uncovered in Warri, Delta State.
The NNPC revealed that 69 illegal refineries have been discovered and dismantled throughout multiple marshes in Okrika, Rivers State. The ongoing construction of an ‘oven’ for the unlawful processing of crude oil has reportedly been halted.
Similar refinery sites were discovered in several areas across Abia and Bayelsa states.
The NNPC reported that 19 unlawful storage sites containing stolen crude and illegally refined goods were discovered in Delta, Imo, Rivers, Abia, and Bayelsa states.
It further stated that 11 vehicles had been seized in Delta, Akwa-Ibom, and Bayelsa states, as well as 39 boats with stolen oil in Rivers, Delta, and Bayelsa states.
The Group CEO of NNPCL, Mele Kyari recently underlined the importance of combating instability in the oil and gas sector to improve output.
“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,” Kyari noted.
