The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) says it has discovered 122 illegal oil refining sites across the Niger Delta region in the past week.
In Akwa Ibom State, a filling station was sealed for selling illegally refined fuel to motorists, according to NNPCL.
A documentary released by the NNPCL on Tuesday revealed that 65 illegal pipeline connections were identified and removed within the past week in Rivers and other states in the oil-rich Niger Delta.
“310 incidents were recorded between May 18 and 24 across the Niger Delta region,” the NNPCL reported, detailing its efforts to combat oil theft and vandalism.
A correspondent reported that the filling station selling illegally refined fuel was located at Grey Creek in Akwa Ibom State.
The 122 illegal refineries were found in Tomble II, III, IV, Umuajuloke in Rivers State, and Oporomor III, Eduwini, and Ajatiton in Bayelsa State.
Vandalized wellheads were also discovered in Tomble IV, Rivers, and Egbema in Imo State, along with a pit filled with crude oil from a vandalized wellhead.
NNPCL also identified five illegal storage sites with oil stored in sacks, pits, cans, and a filling station.
Twenty vehicles, including a tanker, were seized in Delta and Imo states, while 29 boats transporting crude oil or illegally refined products were confiscated across several creeks in Bayelsa and Delta states. Thirty-three suspects were arrested in connection with these incidents.
NNPCL Group Chief Executive Officer Mele Kyari recently stressed the importance of addressing insecurity in the oil and gas sector to boost production.
“To increase oil production, we must tackle the security challenges affecting our onshore assets,” Kyari stated. “The security issue is significant, involving not just theft but also ensuring the infrastructure can deliver the volume to the market. No one will invest in oil production if they know the output won’t reach the market. Over the past two years, we removed more than 5,800 illegal connections from our pipelines and dismantled over 6,000 illegal refineries. We need to solve this problem to attract investment.”
