In the past week, the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited has made a significant discovery, seizing 63 illegal refineries.
With a recent documentary shedding light on the battle against oil theft, NNPCL revealed this development.
The company reported that the illegal refineries were found and confiscated across Bayelsa, Rivers, Abia, Imo, and Delta States.
Between August 3 and 9, 2024, security forces, including Tantita Security Services, documented 177 cases of oil theft.
Within that same timeframe, 19 illegal pipeline connections were identified and addressed in various locations in Bayelsa and River states.
In addition, a vandalized barricaded oil wellhead was located in Bayelsa State by NNPCL.
Stolen crude oil was also detected in oil reservoirs in Rivers State.
A total of 17 vehicle-related arrests were conducted in communities spanning Delta, Bayelsa, Rivers, and Akwa Ibom states.
Furthermore, 15 wooden boats transporting stolen crude were seized in Rivers and Bayelsa states.
Breaking down the incidents, NNPCL revealed that 51 occurred in deep blue waters, 21 in the western region, 29 in the central region, and 76 in the eastern region.
In June, the company had uncovered 165 illegal refineries in the Niger Delta region, as reported by NewsNow.
As Nigeria grapples with revenue losses from oil theft, its crude oil production in July fell short of the 1.5 mbpd OPEC quota, reaching 1.3 million barrels per day.
NNPCL’s Group Chief Executive Officer, Mele Kyari, recently urged the military to continue the fight against crude oil theft and pipeline vandalism.