In another staggering revelation, the Nigeria National Petroleum Company Limited said it uncovered over 70 illegal refineries and pipelines in one week across the Niger Delta.
The discoveries were made during a series of operations that lasted from January 18 to January 24, 2025.
Nigeria had around 589 oil spills in 2024, the majority of which were caused by oil theft.
A review of the numbers revealed that 58 illicit refineries and 19 illegal pipeline connections were discovered.
In a video documentary posted on the NNPCL’s official YouTube account on Tuesday, confirmed the company has logged 159 occurrences of oil theft in the region.
The operations led to the arrest of 25 suspects and the discovery of various illegal oil installations.
“An industry-wide security collaboration to safeguard hydrocarbon infrastructure continues to yield remarkable results,” the broadcast says.
It listed the various companies and stakeholders involved in the operations, including NMPC Ltd’s Command and Control Centre, Pipeline Infrastructure Nigeria Ltd, Maton Engineering Nigeria Ltd, Shell Petroleum Development Company Ltd, Oando PLC, and the Government Security Agencies.
The development comes a week after the national oil company announced the discovery of 55 illegal refineries and 29 illegal pipeline connections.
NNPCL reported a breach in the Oando-NLNG Boni gas pipeline system in River State, among other big incidents of oil theft.
It also documented damage to a gas pipeline, which prompted a stoppage and disrupted the gas supply to Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG).
The national oil corporation reported that many cases of crude oil pipeline vandalism and unauthorized connections to condensate pipelines in Bayelsa State’s Ikenzi and Oruma districts had been discovered.
“Similar breaches were discovered in Ugu, Edo State; Ipu South, Abia State; and at a wellhead in Buguma, River State,” the broadcast’s notes read.
The company stated that all illegal connections had been removed, and repairs had been completed effectively.
Illegal refineries were reportedly discovered in Bile, Boni, Oigu, Okoloma, Ayama, and Ward 7, Dema Abe, all in River State.
In a breakdown of the 159 incidents in the Niger Delta region, it was noted that seven incidents were recorded in the Western Corridor, 72 in the Central Corridor, 41 in the Eastern Corridor, and 39 in the Deep Blue water.
The company emphasized that the fight against crude oil theft will continue, adding that its resolve against the menace remains unshaken.
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