By Milcah Tanimu

In the past week, the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC) has uncovered 165 illegal refineries across the Niger Delta. This discovery was revealed in an NNPC documentary covering the period from June 15 to 21, which reported around 400 incidents of oil theft and vandalism by both government and private security agencies.

Among the findings, 69 illegal connections were discovered and disconnected in Bayelsa and Rivers States. The documentary also reported eight cases of oil spills due to vandalism or illegal connections across the region.

In Warri, Delta State, an illegal loading point was identified. In the swamps of Okrika, Rivers State, 69 illegal refineries were dismantled, and the construction of an ‘oven’ for illegal crude oil refining was halted. Similar illegal refining sites were uncovered in Abia and Bayelsa States.

Additionally, 19 illegal storage sites filled with stolen crude and illegally refined products were found in Delta, Imo, Rivers, Abia, and Bayelsa States. Authorities seized 11 vehicles in Delta, Akwa-Ibom, and Bayelsa States, and confiscated 39 boats carrying stolen crude in Rivers, Delta, and Bayelsa States. Eight individuals were arrested in connection with these activities.

NNPCL Group Chief Executive Officer, Mele Kyari, emphasized the need to address insecurity in the oil and gas sector to boost production. Kyari highlighted that oil theft and vandalism have led to a decline in the nation’s crude oil production.

“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,” Kyari stated. He noted that over the past two years, NNPCL has removed over 5,800 illegal connections from pipelines and dismantled over 6,000 illegal refineries. “You simply cannot get people to put money until you solve that problem,” Kyari added.