Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Ltd (NNPCL) announced on Thursday that it had dismantled 165 illegal facilities refining stolen crude oil in the past week.
Mele Kyari, Group Chief Executive Officer of NNPCL, reported that around 400 cases of oil theft and vandalism were recorded by both government and private security agencies in the Niger Delta region during the same period.
Kyari explained that these operations were conducted in collaboration with the Nigerian military. As a result, 165 illegal oil refineries were destroyed and 39 unauthorized pipeline connections were eliminated.
Earlier, Nigerian Senator Ned Nwoko revealed that the country lost over $3 billion last year due to increasing oil theft and pipeline attacks.
Nigeria’s proven oil reserves are approximately 37 billion barrels, accounting for 3.1% of the world’s reserves. The country is ranked among the top 15 in crude oil production, holding the 10th largest oil reserves and being the sixth largest oil exporter globally.
In the Delta region, where the oil fields are located, armed groups frequently engage in sabotage, leading to conflicts and incidents of kidnapping.
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