The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) has reported the discovery of 122 illegal oil refining sites in the Niger Delta region over the past week.
According to the NNPCL, a filling station in Akwa Ibom State was shut down for selling illegally refined fuel to motorists.
The Next Edition reports that the NNPCL disclosed these details in a recent documentary released to the public domain, where it revealed that 65 illegal pipeline connections were dismantled in Rivers and other states in the Niger Delta region within the same period.
The NNPCL disclosed that a total of 310 incidents were documented between May 18 and 24 in the Niger Delta region, showcasing their ongoing efforts to combat oil theft and vandalism.
Reports revealed that another illicit fuel-selling filling station was located at Grey Creek in Akwa Ibom State.
Also, 122 illegal refineries were identified at various locations, such as Tomble II, III, IV, Umuajuloke in Rivers State, and Oporomor III, Eduwini, and Ajatiton in Bayelsa State.
Furthermore, vandalized wellheads and a pit filled with crude oil from one of the vandalized wellheads were found in Tomble IV, Rivers State, and Egbema in Imo State.
The NNPCL reported the discovery of five illegal storage sites where oil was stored in sacks, pits, cans, and at a filling station.
Additionally, twenty vehicles, including a tanker, were confiscated in Delta and Imo states, while 29 boats transporting crude oil or illegally refined products were seized in various creeks in Bayelsa and Delta states.
It was also mentioned that 33 suspects have been apprehended in connection with these incidents.
Recently, the Group Chief Executive Officer of the NNPCL, Mele Kyari, stressed the importance of addressing insecurity in the oil and gas sector to boost production levels, as the nation continues to experience a decline in crude oil production due to oil theft and vandalism.
“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,” he stated.
