Navy dismantles 3 illegal refineries, recovers 91,000 litres of crude oil in Rivers

The Nigerian Navy, under Operation DELTA SENTINEL, has dismantled three illegal refining sites in the Okolomade and Ogbogolo areas of Rivers State and recovered approximately 91,000 litres of suspected stolen crude oil.

This is contained in an operational report by the Director of Naval Information, Capt. Abiodun Folorunsho made available to newsmen on Saturday in Abuja.

The operation was conducted by personnel of the Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS) SOROH on Friday following credible intelligence about the suspected reactivation of illegal refining activities in the area.

The development comes as the Navy intensifies operations against crude oil theft and illegal refining across the Niger Delta, with recent raids targeting both refining sites and petroleum distribution networks.

What the Navy is saying

Folorunsho stated that the operation uncovered two cooking drums, two large ovens, 10 reservoirs and four storage facilities associated with illegal refining activities.

• “Two makeshift camps suspected to have provided shelter for illegal refiners were also discovered, alongside approximately 91,000 litres of product suspected to be stolen crude oil.”
• “The operation also led to the discovery of about 70 litres of product suspected to be illegally refined AGO.”
• The Navy said the recovered products and materials were handled in accordance with established procedures, while the sites were dismantled to prevent the operators from resuming activities.
• The latest operation followed intelligence indicating that illegal refining activities had resumed in areas previously affected by crude oil theft.

The discovery of the three sites and associated equipment suggests that the operators had established infrastructure for processing and storing stolen crude oil.

The Navy said the intervention disrupted the facilities and removed the infrastructure needed by the operators to continue their activities.

Folorunsho said the operation formed part of efforts to prevent criminal networks from rebuilding illegal refining infrastructure and to protect critical national assets.

Get up to speed

The latest operation is part of a series of interventions by the Navy in Rivers State and other parts of the Niger Delta.

• Nairametrics previously reported that the Navy dismantled four illegal refining sites in Rivers State in July and recovered about 43,000 litres of suspected illegally refined petroleum products.
• In another operation in June, naval personnel recovered approximately 63,290 litres of suspected illegally refined Automotive Gas Oil (AGO), commonly known as diesel, and intercepted a vehicle allegedly linked to an illicit petroleum distribution network.

The Navy also intercepted a vessel in July carrying 682.82 metric tonnes of suspected stolen petroleum products, comprising 650 metric tonnes of crude oil and 32.82 metric tonnes of fuel oil.

What you should know

Crude oil theft and illegal refining remain major challenges for Nigeria’s oil-producing region, with security agencies continuing to target the infrastructure and networks supporting the activities.

On July 2, the Navy dismantled an illegal crude oil storage facility in Bonny Local Government Area of Rivers State and recovered about 20,500 litres of suspected stolen crude oil concealed in dugout pits.

The latest recovery of approximately 91,000 litres of suspected stolen crude oil adds to the volume of petroleum products recovered during recent operations across Rivers State.