The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Oil theft

  • Fed Govt may employ diplomacy to fight oil theft

    The Federal Government is planning to collaborate with major oil consuming countries, especially the United States, European countries and some other emerging economies that are in high need of energy to find ways to fight oil theft in Nigeria.

    A source told The Nation in confidence that the Presidency said it would use the full weight of Nigeria’s diplomatic resources to ensure that it makes it easy to track and identify stolen crude from the country in order to discourage the thriving activities of oil thieves.

    Although the source didn’t disclose the extent of the Presidency’s efforts toward achieving the initiative, she noted that the government is deeply worried about the level and consistency of the dastardly act of oil theft.

    At the just held Nigeria Oil and Gas conference in Abuja, where a special session was held on the way forward for the oil and gas industry in Nigeria, the Group Executive Director, Exploration and Production, Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC),Abiye Membere, said the country loses between 50,000 and 80,000 barrels of oil per day to stolen crude.

    Besides, the Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke, had last year held a meeting with Service chiefs of the Armed Forces, State Security Service and the Police, on how to tackle oil theft. She noted that Nigeria loses about $7 billion yearly to stolen crude and another $5 billion on reparation and replacement of vandalised pipelines.

    Despite the efforts, the activities of the oil thieves have not abated. Apart from the Presidency plan, Membere said the government is exploring other areas to fight oil theft, which include use of fibre optic survey, satellite imaging, application of advanced technology and declaring proceeds from stolen Nigerian crude as blood money and most of all, speedy passage of the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB).

    Membere said the volume of oil lost to illegal bunkering is equivalent to discovering two new oil fields, adding some of the countries that parade themselves as oil producing countries don’t produce as much as 50,000 barrels per day.

    He said stakeholders in the industry must find a way of breaking the unit of people driving the dastardly act of oil theft.

    The Managing Director, Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria Limited and Chairman, Shell Companies in Nigeria, Mutiu Sunmonu, had at several forums lamented the impact of oil theft on the company.

    He noted that over 80 percent of incidents from Shell operations were caused by vandals, which also impact on the environment where they operate.

  • JTF arrests two Shell workers for oil theft

     

    The Joint Task Force in the Niger Delta has arrested two employees of the Shell Petroleum Development Company for oil theft.

    Operatives of the JTF, codenamed Operation Pulo (Oil) Shield, on Monday night, apprehended Messrs. Bori Friday and Young Apahia, who were Shell’s surveillance staff, at Kporgho-Ogoni in Gokana Local Government Area of Rivers State.

    The JTF has handed over the two staff to officials of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps for prosecution.

    The Public Relations Officer of the 2 Brigade, Nigerian Army, Bori Camp, Port Harcourt, Major Michael Etete, said the arrest took place at about 9:30pm on Monday.

    Etete said: “Troops of Sector 2, JTF Pulo Shield on patrol, discovered a pipe break and an illegal connection on SPDC’s pipeline in Kporgho, Gokana LGA of Rivers State.

    “Two SPDC surveillance workers were found at the scene and were suspected to be responsible for the vandalism. The two suspects were arrested and transferred to NSCDC, Rivers State Command, for prosecution.

    “All oil companies are advised to weed persons of questionable character in their employ.”

    The JTF’s spokesman also assured that the security outfit was committed to ending crude oil theft and illegal bunkering in the Niger Delta.

     

  • ‘JTF winning war against oil theft, illegal bunkering’

    The Joint Task Force operating in the Niger Delta said it is recording successes in the war against crude oil theft and illegal bunkering in the region.

    The Commander of the 2 Brigade and Sector 2 of the JTF, Brig.-Gen. Tukur Buratai said this in Port Harcourt on Monday at the inauguration of six-block of component commanders’ residential quarters for senior officers of the task force.

    The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the quarters were allocated to officers of the task force from the Navy, State Security Service, Police and the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps.

    Buratai said the JTF, through its aggressive intelligence and commitment, had uncovered, arrested and prosecuted many illegal oil bunkering suspects and thieves in the Niger Delta.

    “Since our assumption of responsibility of the (JTF) Pulo Shield, we have made tremendous progress in the anti-bunkering, illegal bunkering, anti-piracy operations and sundry crimes, especially pipeline vandalism and oil theft.

    “The Brigade (Sector 2) has also moved into other directions in support of the civil police in anti-kidnappings, anti-armed robbery operations and we have made tremendous successes.

    “We want to assure the good people of Rivers and Bayelsa that we are up to the task and facing such challenges squarely,” he said.

    Buratai said the newly-built accommodations would improve the functionality of the component commanders as well as reduce hotel bills and security challenge faced by the officers.