The Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited has uncovered an illegal four-kilometer pipeline from Forcados in Delta State to the sea, and a loading port that was part of an elaborate crude oil theft operation for the last nine years.
The Group Chief Executive Officer of NNPC, Mele Kyari, revealed this on Wednesday when he appeared before a joint Senate committee on Upstream, Downstream and Gas, lamenting that though oil theft in Nigeria has been on for over 22 years, the rate it has assumed in recent time is unprecedented.
Kyari also revealed that three operational facilities of Forcados, Bonny and Brass oil terminals have all been shut down as a result of the high rate of crude oil theft, leading to the loss of about 600,000 barrels per day (bpd).
“In the last six weeks, there has been a spill site in Bodo community in Rivers State, which may affect the operations of Trans Niger pipeline if not clamped,” Kyari said.
“Hundreds of illegal refineries in the country has led to the oil spill that made the country lose 120,000 bpd.”
He further stated that, in the course of the clamp down, the company has destroyed 350 illegal refineries, 273 wooden and 374 reservoirs. In addition, 1,561 metal tanks were destroyed while over 49 seized trucks were burnt among others.
The NNPC boss said the implication of the destruction is worse than the Ogoni spillage devastation in the affected areas, which have decimated agriculture, and fishing in the communities.
He further explained that in addressing the menace, NNPC carried out aerial surveillance of the affected areas, and observed that the economic saboteurs carry out their activities unchallenged.
In addition, after over four hours of the interface, the lawmakers proposed that capital punishment be put in place for offenders, which will be presented at plenary for consideration.