Navy recovers 6m litres of crude from illegal refineries
By Jeph Ajobaju, Chief Copy Editor
More than six million litres of stolen crude oil worth N3 billion were seized by the Navy around Sara creek in Rivers between 15 and 23 April in an operation that also destroyed illegal refineries.
The Navy discovered three wide pits filled with about 500,000 litres of illegally refined AGO (Automotive Gas Oil), as well as 700,000 litres of stolen crude oil, according to a statement issued by Navy spokesman Adedotun Ayo-Vaughan.
He said Operation DAKATAR DA BARAWO, launched by the Navy on 1 April in the “unrelenting effort” to check increasing crude oil theft and related acts of economic sabotage, recorded more arrests and seizures between 15 and 23 April.
“On April 15, 2022, Nigerian Navy Ship DELTA at Warri, deactivated an Illegal Refining Site around Sara creek.
“The IRS [illegal refining site] had 16 ovens, 16 metal storage tanks and three wide pits filled with about 500,000 litres of illegally refined AGO, as well as 700,000 litres of stolen crude oil, a generator and four pumping machines.
“Also, an IRS at Asugbo creek in Warri was discovered with six ovens, 12 metal storage tanks and five large pits all containing about 600,000 litres of stolen crude oil including 200,000 litres of illegally refined AGO and about 150,000 litres of sludge.”
__________________________________________________________________
Related articles:
Treasury makes $195.11b from oil, but losses far greater
NNPC loses 116.46m litres of oil worth nearly N19b
Oil firms express concern as oil theft bleeds $3.27b
Buhari ignores yearly $4b oil theft, insists on taking loans
__________________________________________________________________
Air reconnaissance
Sequel to a series of air reconnaissance, the statement added, Forward Operating Base FORMOSO, in Bayelsa on 19 April raided an IRS at Ereweibio creek in Brass Council, according to reporting by The PUNCH.
“Seven large cooking ovens, 10 large metal storage tanks and drums all laden with about 400,000 litres of illegally refined AGO and 20,000 litres of suspected illegally refined PMS [premium motor spirit or petrol] were discovered.
“The site also had five large pits holding approximately 700,000 litres of stolen crude oil. Equally, two pumping machines, one gasoline generator, one submersible pump and one chainsaw machine were discovered at the site and destroyed in situ.
“Succinctly, Week three of the OPDDB saw the seizure of over 6,000,000 litres of products valued over N3 billion from oil thieves and economic saboteurs. The migration by operators of IRS from the South South geopolitical zone to the South East also comes to the fore.
“This development will in no way deter the Nigerian Navy from ensuring zero tolerance for COT, IRS, illegal bunkering and related economic crimes in the nation’s maritime environment and adjoining territory.”
