Nigerian authorities crack down on illegal refining sites

This action follows a March operation by the Nigerian Navy, which uncovered two additional illegal refining sites. Eight reservoirs were found containing approximately 53,900 liters of suspected stolen crude oil, 1,550 liters of illegally refined diesel, and 250 liters of illegally refined kerosene.

These efforts are part of Operation Delta Sanity, an aggressive anti-crude oil theft and anti-economic sabotage initiative launched on 6 January, 2024.

The operation, involving several vessels and hundreds of naval personnel, aims to secure the Niger Delta through intensive surveillance and patrols.

Nigeria is losing 400,000 barrels of oil per day to crude oil thieves, National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu said in a statement.

Crude oil theft and vandalism of critical oil and gas infrastructure continue to challenge Nigeria’s revenue generation and budget targets, a joint Committee on Petroleum Resources said in a recent release.

In another significant bust, authorities seized 75,000 liters of stolen crude oil and 25,000 liters of illegally refined diesel from two sites in the Bassambiri and Biokpongo areas of Bayelsa State.

Since its launch, Operation Delta Sanity has made substantial progress, recovering over 62,000 barrels of crude oil and nearly a million liters of illegally refined fuel products, valued at nearly 10 billion Nigerian nairas (US$6.32 million).

With the problem persisting, authorities have extended the operation by 90 days starting in July, aiming to further curb crude oil theft and economic sabotage in the South-South region.

The ongoing battle against crude oil theft reveals deep-rooted issues of corruption and security vulnerabilities within Nigeria, demanding continuous and rigorous efforts to safeguard the nation’s resources.