*The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, in a recent two-minute video, discloses how the security agencies uncovered vandalised wellheads and pipelines in Bayelsa State and seized vehicles used for operations by the oil thieves and apprehended 52 suspects in Ole, Ugheli, and Warri in Delta State, among others

Isola Moses | 绿帽献妻

The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) has disclosed how聽 the country’s security agencies have uncovered 223 fresh illegal connections and illegal refineries in the Niger Delta.

绿帽献妻 learnt the state oil company, in a recent two-minute video showed how the incidents were recorded between February 10 and 16, 2024.

Analysis of the audiovisual material also indicated that 27 of the incidents occurred at Matron Engineering facilities, 21 at Pipeline Infrastructure Nigeria Limited, 7 at Shell Petroleum Development Company facilities, four at Tantite Security Services Limited, a private security firm, and 156 incidents recorded at facilities owned by the Federal security agencies.

Further details showed 20 illegal connections were discovered in Okirika Rivers State, Bayelsa State, and Delta State, while illegal refineries were uncovered at different locations in Rivers, Delta, Bayelsa, and Abia states.

In the video, sacks of crude oil were discovered in Warri, while cans of crude oil were seized in Edo State.

More oil sacks were also seized in Olobiri, Bayelsa State.

Vandalised wellheads and pipelines were spotted in Bayelsa, and vehicles used for operations by the oil thieves were seized in Ole, Ugheli, and Warri in Delta State.

NNPCL also noted it had apprehended 52 suspects have been arrested so far.

In regard to the demographics of the incidents, the State Oil Company said eight were recorded in deep blue waters, 32 in the western region, 123 in the central region, and 60 in the eastern region part of the Niger Delta.

Malam Mele Kyari, Group Chief Executive Officer (GCEO) of NNPCL, stated: “For NNPC Limited, there is no backing down on the war on crude oil theft until the menace is eradicated.”

The fresh incidents come on the heels of relatively low crude oil production bedevilling the oil and gas sector of the economy, according to report.

A report also indicated that the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) Monthly Oil Market Report (MOMR) for February, revealed that Nigeria鈥檚 crude oil production appreciated to 1.4 million barrels per day (bpd) January 2024.

The report , however, noted that West African country has been unable to meet its OPEC quota of 1.74 mb/d for 2023, and 1.58 mb/d for this year.

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