Using Maritime Intelligence System, NNPCL Uncovers Fresh 162 Illegal Pipeline Connections, Refineries in N’Delta

…Confiscates Thirty Wooden Boats, Others Used In Stealing Crude Oil

The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited has said it discovered 162 illegal pipeline connections and illegal refineries in the Niger Delta, mostly in Bayelsa in the past week.

In a documentary by the oil company shared via its social media handle, the NNPCL said 93 illegal pipeline connections and 69 illegal refineries were discovered from Aboa and Gbokoda between July 15 and 21, and had been destroyed.

The National Oil Company noted that the fight against crude oil theft in the country has been intensified.

It said that during the one week period, 27 pipelines were vandalised while wooden boats, trucks and those arrested were about 30.

It added that the pipelines that were vandalised are currently being repaired.

The NNPCL added that 13 Automatic Identification System infractions were recorded among vessels, noting that five oil spills were also reported during the period with two illegal vessels caught operating within the seven days period.

“War on crude oil theft: 93 illegal pipeline connections discovered and 69 illegal refineries destroyed in the Niger Delta in the past week,” the company wrote.

In the video documentary, the company explained that large-scale crude oil theft was currently ongoing in the Niger Delta, adding that repairs were ongoing.

According to NNPCL, the illegalities were discovered using its maritime intelligence system.

“30 wooden boats used in carrying stolen crude oil were confiscated in the past week, with some in Gbokodo, and five cases of oil spill recorded in the deep blue waters,” it said.

The company said it would not relent in its fight against crude oil theft in the country.

Crude oil theft cost Nigeria around 470,000 barrels of crude estimated at $700m daily last year.

A recent report by the Nigerian Extractive International Transparency Initiative estimated Nigeria lost 619.7 million barrels of crude valued at N25trn between 2009 and 2020.

The NNPC Ltd Group Chief Executive Officer, Mallam Mele Kyari had last year while speaking during a summit organised by the
Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria said that through the support provided by the federal government, the country is making huge success in the fight against crude oil thieves and pipeline vandals.

He said the activities of vandals, if left unchecked, would destroy the oil and gas industry and ultimately frustrate the NNPC’s mandate of guaranteeing energy security for Nigerians.

He said, “The government security agencies in partnership with NNPC and other companies are on the table today because if we don’t arrest pipeline vandalism, we will have no industry.

“And more than anything else, it will completely question any possibility of energy security for our country. For NNPC, we are by law required to be the guarantor of energy security for this country. This is very broad, very tough and very demanding. It means that we must supply energy to this country in all it’s forms.

“And until we arrest the current situation of theft and vandals action, it’s very difficult to take the next step. I am glad to share with you today that monumental progress have been achieved and I can tell you that in the next couple of days maximum a week, our pipelines assets will come back on stream.

“This will no doubt provide the resources that we need to go back to work to reinvest and also provide resources for our country so that other infrastructure development in our country can be delivered.”

Kyari called for the support of all stakeholders in the oil and gas industry to stop the issue of crude oil theft and pipeline vandalism.

For those involved in this criminality, the NNPC Boss had promised that no one arrested will go unpunished.

Kyari added, “This is clearly an area that requires all of us. And whoever, anywhere, whether in NNPC, regulators, security agencies or wherever you are and whoever you are working for, as long as we know such people, please report at the portal because it is the enemy of all of us.

“Many of the connections that you have seen could not have been delivered except with the involvements of professional, it’s not possible. They are in our midst, the ones we know, we must put them on the table and that is what we are doing. We will spare no one in this action so that ultimately we can get back our assets.

“I am happy with the support we are getting from government security agencies and it is working. Also the involvements of private security is working and it has helped us.

“Many of the discoveries we made could not have been possible without local knowledge and supporting the people who have been used to do so much and are used by criminals to do some of these things with very little things that they give them. Now, they are involved in protecting these assets and we are proud of these interventions.”