Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited has discovered and confiscated an

additional 63 illegal refineries in the past week.

NNPCL disclosed this in a recent documentary on the fight against oil theft, adding that

63 illegal refineries were discovered and confiscated in Bayelsa, Rivers, Abia, Imo and

Delta States.

The state-owned firm also said, from August 3 to 9 2024 alone, about 177 incidents of

oil theft were recorded by security operatives, including Tantita Security Services and

others, adding that during the week under review, 19 illegal pipeline connections were

recovered, while some underwent repairs across several locations in Bayelsa and River

states, while, a vandalized barricaded oil wellhead was discovered in Bayelsa State.

According to the firm, 17 vehicular arrests were made in communities in Delta, Bayelsa,

Rivers and Akwa Ibom states, while, 15 wooden boats conveying stolen crude were

confiscated in Rivers and Bayelsa states, and 51 of those incidents took place in the

deep blue water, 21 in the western region, 29 in the central region, and 76 in the

eastern region.

This is coming after in June, the company uncovered 165 illegal refineries in

the Niger Delta region, while, in July, the country recorded 1.3 million

barrels per day of crude oil production, short of the 1.5 mbpd Organization of

Petroleum Exporting Countries, OPEC, quota, and the Group Chief Executive Officer of

NNPCL, Mele Kyari recently called on the military to sustain the war against

crude oil theft and pipeline vandalism.