NNPC Shuts Down 122 Illegal Refineries and Seals Fuel Station

The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) has uncovered 122 illegal oil refining sites in the past week across the Niger Delta region.

The NNPCL announced that a filling station in Akwa Ibom State was sealed for selling illegally refined fuel to motorists.

According to a documentary released by NNPCL on Tuesday, 65 illegal pipeline connections were discovered and removed within the past week in Rivers State and other parts of the Niger Delta.

“Between May 18 and 24, 310 incidents were recorded across the Niger Delta region,” NNPCL disclosed, highlighting its ongoing efforts to combat oil theft and vandalism.

A filling station selling illegally refined fuel was found at Grey Creek in Akwa Ibom State. The 122 illegal refineries were identified in Tomble II, III, IV, and Umuajuloke in Rivers State, as well as Oporomor III, Eduwini, and Ajatiton in Bayelsa State.

Vandalized wellheads were discovered in Tomble IV, Rivers, and Egbema in Imo State, with one pit filled with crude oil from a vandalized wellhead. Five illegal storage sites, where oil was stored in sacks, pits, cans, and a filling station, were also identified by NNPCL.

Twenty vehicles, including a tanker, were seized in Delta and Imo states, while 29 boats transporting crude oil or illegally refined products were confiscated across several creeks in Bayelsa and Delta states. Thirty-three suspects have been arrested in connection with these incidents.

NNPCL Group Chief Executive Officer, Mele Kyari, recently emphasized the need to address security challenges in the oil and gas sector to increase production. According to Kyari, oil theft and vandalism significantly impact the nation’s crude oil production.

“To increase oil production, we must address the security challenges in our onshore assets. The security challenge is real and affects the availability of infrastructure to deliver volume to the market. No one will invest in oil production if the output cannot reach the market. In the last two years, we have removed over 5,800 illegal connections from our pipelines and taken down over 6,000 illegal refineries. Solving this problem is essential to attract investment,” he stated.