The Nigeria National Petroleum Company Limited has stated that there were 157 incidents of crude oil theft between December 30, 2023 and January 5, 2024 across the Niger Delta.
This was stated in the weekly TV show, Energy and You aired on service of the Nigeria Television Authority (NTA).
According to the report, the incidents recorded range from illegal refineries, illegal connections, oil spills, illegal storage sites, pipeline vandalism, etc.
It further stated that there were 52 cases of illegal refineries discovered, 32 illegal connections to pipelines, 25 cases of pipeline vandalism, 2 incidents of oil spill, 3 cases of vessel infraction, etc.
The NNPCL reports that these incidents were reported by both oil companies like the AGIP, and SPDC, and government and private security agencies like Tantita, the NNPCL Command and Control Centre.
The report noted that 52 illegal refineries were discovered in Owazza, and Oguzor in Abia state, Ohaji-Egbema in Imo state, Omoku in Rivers state, and other communities in Bayelsa state. They were subsequently destroyed.
The illegal connections reported were discovered in Olodiama and other communities in Bayelsa state, and Udu in Delta state. In Okrika and Ebocha in Rivers state, the NNPCL reported the vandalisation of oil well heads in those communities.
Of the total incidences of crude oil theft recorded, around 9 were recorded in the deep water while the majority of cases were recorded in the Central and Eastern regions of the Niger Delta with 95 and 45 cases respectively.
Nigeria has been battling crude oil theft across the Niger Delta which has reduced government revenues and led to environmental degradation and divestment by IOCs in onshore operations.
Shell- one of Nigeria’s oldest international oil companies recently announced the sale of its onshore oil assets to a group of companies called Renaissance for $1.3 billion. This comes after the Supreme Court ruled in favour of Shell in an $878 million oil spill case which halted the proposed sale of its onshore assets.
The National Security Adviser (NSA) to the President stated in August that the country loses around 400,000 barrels of crude oil to theft daily during a visit to oil-producing communities in the Niger Delta.
