NNPCL takes aim at illegal refineries

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The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPCL) announced a significant step in its fight against oil theft, revealing the destruction of 6,465 illegal refineries across the country since 2022. This aggressive move comes as part of a wider effort to safeguard Nigeria’s oil resources and combat the economic and environmental damage caused by this illicit activity.

The Group Chief Executive Officer, NNPCL, Mele Kyari, disclosed this at the company’s corporate headquarters in Abuja while hosting members of the House of Representatives Special Committee on Oil Theft who were at the NNPCL towers on an oversight duty.

He said, “From 2022 to date, we have deactivated 6,465 illegal refineries. We have also removed 4,876 illegal connections to pipelines out of the 5,570 that we have discovered.”

Kyari added that the NNPCL is not sure of the actual number, stressing that the company was aware of scores of illegal connections yet to be removed.

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“Some of the scale of infractions that we see is unbelievable; we are not able to deal with them. When you remove one connection, the next day in the same location, someone will replace it. It is obvious that crude oil theft is almost an end-to-end issue in Nigeria and it is very obvious that everyone is involved.

“In most of these locations, they are less than a hundred metres from settlements; some are even less than a hundred metres from local government headquarters,” he said.

The NNPCL’s announcement underscores the persistent challenge of illegal oil refining in Nigeria. These underground operations steal crude oil, depriving the nation of vital revenue. Furthermore, they cause significant environmental harm through spills and improper disposal of hazardous waste.

The dismantling of over 6,000 refineries in just two years signifies the NNPCL’s dedication to tackling this issue. However, the fight against oil theft is complex, and continued efforts are necessary to completely extinguish this black market industry.

It’s important to note that this report is based solely on the provided headline and doesn’t include specific details regarding the NNPCL’s operations or the locations of the destroyed refineries.