By Chuks Oyema-Aziken
The Nigerian Navy said it’s Operation DELTA SANITY from inception to date has saved the country cumulatively, the sum of One Billion, Fifty-Eight Million, Four Hundred and Forty-Eight Thousand, Three Hundred and Twenty-Six Naira Thirty-Three Kobo (N1,058,448,326.33) that could have gone to oil thieves.
The outgoing Director of Information, Nigerian Navy, Rear Admiral Ayodotun Ayo-Vaughan, disclosed this in a press statement on Tuesday.
He said that “the various Nigerian Navy platforms deployed for the operation have continued to conduct aggressive patrols to combat crude oil theft and illegal oil bunkering within Nigeria’s maritime environment.”
He gave the breakdown of the recovery as 4,036.7 barrels of crude oil worth $473,009.589 (N591,498,491.04) and 270,600 litres of illegally refined AGO worth (N157,562,542.57).
He said “Consequently, several illegal refining sites (IRS), metal storage tanks, ovens, wooden boats, dugout pits, fibre boats and pumping machines were appropriately handled.
Notably, Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS) PATHFINDER in Rivers State, in conjunction with Naval Security Station (NSS) 022, 026 and 028, conducted recognition operations around Elem Krakrama Creek and Ke in Degema Local Government Area (LGA) of Rivers State.
According to him, during the operations, the team intercepted six wooden boats cumulatively laden with about 600 litres of products suspected to be stolen: automotive gas oil (AGO) and 566.0 barrels (90.000 litres) of products suspected to be stolen crude oil.
Accordingly, the wooden boats and items were deactivated.
Similarly, Forward Operating Base (FOB) Formoso at Bayelsa State conducted anti-COT and illegal bunkering operations around Brass River, Akassa, and Obama general area in Ogbia.
He added that they also conducted operations in the Nembe and Southern Ijaw LGAs of Bayelsa State.
He said that “during the operations, the team discovered 4 IRS, 5 ovens and 2 pumping machines.”
They also arrested five wooden boats laden with about 704.4 bbls (112,000 litres) of product suspected to be stolen crude oil, he added.
Accordingly, the sites and items were dismantled while the products were handled appropriately.
Also, FOB Escravos in Delta State conducted anti-COT operations around Saghara Creek in Warri South LGA of Delta State.
During the operation, the team visited a previously deactivated IRS, which was observed to be under reconstruction.
The site had one empty reservoir and five dug-out pits. Accordingly, the site was dismantled while items were deactivated.
In another development, NNS SOROH in Bayelsa State, in conjunction with Naval Security Stations 030 and Ocean Marine Solution Houseboat Peremabiri, conducted an anti-COT and anti-illegal bunkering operation around Ogbotobo and the Fish Camp Community in the Atala area of Bayelsa State.
During the operations, the team discovered a vandalised flowline station belonging to Shell Petroleum Development Company, which was recently reactivated.
The team also found a newly constructed IRS with 2 pumping machines, 3 generators, galvanised pipes, a 50 kg gas cylinder, and other construction items. The team also found one wooden boat laden with sacks of about 19,000 litres of products suspected to be stolen AGO. Accordingly, the items, wooden boats and products were towed to a safe location and deactivated.
Similarly, Naval Base Oguta in Imo State conducted an anti-COT and anti-illegal bunkering operation in her immediate environs. During the operations, the team discovered one fibre boat laden with about 7.5 bbls (1,200 litres) of product suspected to be stolen crude oil. Accordingly, the boat and product were towed to a safe location and deactivated.
Furthermore, the Naval Flying Unit, Port Harcourt, conducted aerial surveillance at Abonnema, Temakiri, Aiya Abissa, Ke, Krakrama Tuma, Samkiri, Ukwa West, Ikwuriator, Imo River and Aba River.
During surveillance, the team sighted various IRS and wooden boats laden with unspecified quantities of illegally refined AGO in numerous numbers suspected to have been syphoned from a nearby wellhead. Accordingly, the incident was reported to relevant units for appropriate action.
In summary, 4 IRS, 5 ovens, one reservoir, 5 dugout pits and 12 wooden boats were appropriately handled during the period under review. Additionally, oil thieves were denied about 1,277.9 barrels (203,200 litres) of product suspected to be stolen crude oil and 19,600 litres of illegally refined Automated Gas Oil (AGO) amounting to the sum of One Hundred and Fifty Million, Seven Hundred and Seventy-Four Thousand, Two Hundred and Fifty-Six Naira Thirty-Two Kobo (N151,774,256.32) only.
