The Nigerian Navy, operating under Operation Delta Sanity, dismantled 23 illegal refinery sites and recovered significant quantities of stolen crude oil in October, according to a statement issued on Tuesday by Commodore Aiwuyor Adams-Aliu, Director of Naval Information, in Abuja.
During the operations, the Navy uncovered and destroyed 30 ovens, 26 reservoirs, 77 sacks, 19 dug-out pits, 21 wooden boats, four jerry cans, and two pumping machines. Commodore Adams-Aliu revealed that substantial amounts of crude oil and Automotive Gas Oil (AGO) were recovered, contributing to an increase in Nigeria’s crude oil production, which the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited reported at 1.8 million barrels per day (mbd) in October.
According to him, the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited announced recently that Nigeria’s crude oil production has risen to 1.8mbd in October.
“On 8 October, three illegal refinery sites, 15 ovens, 12 reservoirs, five dugout pits and two wooden boats laden with about 12,000 litres of stolen crude oil were discovered and destroyed around Bakana River, Bukuma axis and Ogaji-Ama of Rivers (State).
“On 9 October, one suspect with one locally made pistol was arrested with three cases of ammunition. Also, three illegal refinery sites as well as five reservoirs, two ovens, one dugout pit, and two wooden boats cumulatively laden with about 900 litres of product suspected to be stolen crude oil were discovered around Otuwo and Ogboinbiri general area of Bayelsa (State).
“On 11 October, five illegal refinery sites with four ovens, three reservoirs and a few sacks laden with about 4,000 litres of stolen crude oil were discovered around Ugbokodo and Christian village in Warri South-West Local Government Area of Delta (State).
(Premium Times)
