The Nigerian Navy, under the auspices of Operation DELTA SANITY, successfully uncovered and destroyed 23 illegal refinery sites in October, recovering significant quantities of stolen crude oil and refined products.
This was disclosed in a statement issued on Tuesday in Abuja by Commodore Aiwuyor Adams-Aliu, the Director of Naval Information.
According to Adams-Aliu, the operations yielded substantial results, including the destruction of critical infrastructure used for illegal refining activities.
Among the items destroyed were 30 ovens, 26 reservoirs, 77 sacks, 19 dugout pits, 21 wooden boats, four jerry cans, and two pumping machines.
He further revealed that large quantities of crude oil and Automotive Gas Oil (AGO) were recovered during these operations.
The success of these efforts has significantly contributed to the improvement of Nigeria’s crude oil production.
The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) recently announced that the country’s crude oil production increased to 1.8 million barrels per day (mbd) in October.
Providing details of specific operations, Adams-Aliu noted that on October 8, three illegal refinery sites were uncovered and destroyed around the Bakana River, Bukuma axis, and Ogaji-Ama in Rivers State.
This operation led to the destruction of 15 ovens, 12 reservoirs, five dugout pits, and two wooden boats containing approximately 12,000 liters of stolen crude oil.
The following day, October 9, the Navy arrested a suspect in possession of a locally made pistol and three cases of ammunition.
During the same operation, three illegal refinery sites, five reservoirs, two ovens, one dugout pit, and two wooden boats collectively containing about 900 liters of stolen crude oil were uncovered in the Otuwo and Ogboinbiri areas of Bayelsa State.
On October 11, five additional illegal refinery sites were discovered in the Ugbokodo and Christian Village areas of Warri South-West Local Government Area in Delta State.
These sites contained four ovens, three reservoirs, and sacks with approximately 4,000 liters of stolen crude oil.In a separate operation in Ondo State, a market boat laden with 2,200 liters of illegally refined AGO was intercepted at Idi-Ogba.
The Navy reiterated its commitment to tackling oil theft and illegal refining, emphasizing that these efforts are crucial for safeguarding Nigeria’s economic resources. Commodore Adams-Aliu stressed that Operation DELTA SANITY would continue to intensify its crackdown on illegal activities in the nation’s waterways, contributing to the stability and growth of the oil sector.
These achievements underscore the Navy’s critical role in curbing oil theft and illegal refining, which have long plagued Nigeria’s oil-rich regions.
