The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited has stated that 63 more illegal refineries were discovered and confiscated in the previous week.
It was disclosed in a documentary that the fight against oil theft was yielding result, according to The Punch.
The NNPC stated that between August 3 and August 9, about 177 incidents were reported by various incident sources, including four from Tantita Security Services, eleven from Shell Petroleum Development Company, 26 from Pipeline Infrastructure Nigeria Limited, 20 from Maton Engineering Company, one from NNPC 18 Operating Ltd, 51 from NNPC Command and Control Center, and 64 from government security agencies.
It stated that during the week in question, 19 illicit pipeline connections were located and confiscated, and some of them underwent repairs in several of Bayelsa and River States location.
According to the NNPC, 63 illicit refineries in the states of Delta, Imo, Rivers, Bayelsa, and Abia were found and confiscated.
It added that a vandalised barricaded oil wellhead was discovered in Bayelsa State.
It was gathered that stolen crude was discovered in oil reservoirs in Rivers State.
The state-owned company reported that 17 vehicular arrests took place in the states of Delta, Bayelsa, Rivers, and Akwa Ibom.
It stated that in the states of Rivers and Bayelsa, fifteen wooden boats carrying stolen crude were seized.
The energy company disclosed that 51 of those incidents took place in the deep blue water, 21 in the western region, 29 in the central region, and 76 in the eastern region.
According to the NNPC, during the previous week, at least 16 people had been taken into custody in relation to the incidents.
Crude oil theft has remained a major challenge in the upstream sector, inhibiting the country’s ability to ramp up production.
Recently, billionaire businessman, Tony Elumelu, remarked that the government and security agents in Nigeria should be able to tell Nigerians who steal the country’s crude oil, especially using vessels that move through the territorial waters.
According to him, the menace played a part in foreign oil corporations pulling out of Nigeria.
Speaking with the Financial Times, Elumelu noted that oil thieves still take away 18 per cent of crude from his field.
He said, “42,000 barrels of crude are pumped out daily. Theft still takes away about 18 per cent of production.
“This is oil theft; we are not talking about stealing a bottle of Coke that you can put in your pocket. The government should know; they should tell us.
“Look at America — Donald Trump was shot at and quickly they knew the background of who shot him. Our security agencies should tell us who is stealing our oil. You bring vessels to our territorial waters and we don’t know?”
