Crude oil theft surges with NNPC Limited reporting 136 incidents within a span of six days.
Between March 16th and 22nd, 2024, the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Ltd (NNPCL) documented 136 incidents of crude oil theft, as disclosed on the Energy and You program aired on NTA. These included unauthorized connections, pipeline tampering, illegal refineries, AIS violations, oil spills, and other activities primarily concentrated in Rivers State.
Tantita Security Services reported 37 unauthorized connections removed in Rivers, Bayelsa, and Abia, along with 29 illicit refining operations detected across the Niger Delta. Real-time drone footage in Bayelsa revealed crude extraction from unauthorized pits leading to spills. #naijaeyesblog
Additionally, AIS non-compliance was noted in Rivers and Delta, with seized wooden boats and vehicles
transporting stolen crude oil in multiple states. The Central Niger Delta saw 70 incidents, deep blue water regions 13, Eastern Niger Delta 38, and Western Niger Delta 15. These thefts contribute to reduced state revenues, environmental damage, and decreased onshore investments by IOCs, resulting in a daily loss of approximately 400,000 barrels of crude oil according to the National Security Adviser.
