The military Joint Task Force in Niger Delta “Operation Delta Safe (OPDS)” has uncovered 50 illegal refining sites at the Biseni forest in Yenagoa Local Government Area of Bayelsa State.

The operation was led by the Commander of OPDS, Rear Admiral John Okeke.

According to the commander, illegal refining of stolen crude oil was carried out at the sites on daily basis before it was busted by the military.

Speaking with newsmen after the operation, Okeke stated that a large dugout open pit found in ones of the illegal refining sites can accommodate more than 10 trucks of Alternative Gas Oil (AGO), holding crude oil from where they distribute to their cooking site.

He said he had earlier warned oil thieves in the area to desist from the illegal business or relocate to another area.

He said: “On May 9, 2024, we were at Ukwa West LGA, in Abua State bordering Rivers State, a contiguous forest bear a shared along Imo River.

“Today like I said we are not going to relent and is work in progress. We will not get tired, we will continue, we are in Biseni in Yenagoa LGA of Bayelsa. We transverse from Ahoada West LGA, of Rivers to reach this point, the most surprising thing is that this place we are now is housing over 50 cooking sites with unique arrangements.

“Why are the thieves operating in this area decided to be so smart by connecting what is called theft line made of two inches pipe, a galvanized pipe connecting directly to supply oil line on the road, from a distance of one kilometer.

“Then they have a lot of funny connections where they have various arrangement of connection, multiple connection where each of the thief get their supply. From a large dugout open pit that can accommodate more than 10 trucks of AGO, holding crude oil from where they distribute to their cooking site.

“Look at the thick forest, we are now, you can never imagine that such serious crime is going on here, if not for the good spirited individual that volunteer information, we wouldn’t have known,” he said.

In his address at the inauguration of the New Headquarters Naval Training Command in Ebubu community, Eleme Local Government Area of Rivers State, last month, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Tajudeen Abbas, lamented that Nigeria loses an estimated 300,000 barrels of crude oil per day to oil theft, pipeline vandalism, and other forms of criminality.

Abbas stated that the menace has culminated in revenue losses estimated at N1.29 trillion annually.

SpecialAdviser:
I suggest they arrest those guys, jail them and sell those refineries to others and officially register them as legal. Especially if what they refine has all the qualities of good fuel.

We cannot afford to take them off the market at this critical time. But I know this government will not listen. They will destroy them or even burn them down.

Meanwhile, what useless Buhari and Tinubu cannot achieve, individuals are doing it.

jmoore:

That you use 'specialadviser' as your name is not a criteria to start advising.

Go and get educated on how these jagajaga refineries work and how they pollute the environment.

SpecialAdviser:

Well I just shared my opinion. You can share yours. Meanwhile, don't you think the government can ask those taking over to do additional work on the refinery and certified good to go before operations? Is that not a good way to go?

jmoore:

If that jagajaga refinery is worth investing, Dangote won't spend billions of dollars building a new refinery.

Those jagajaga refinery are scrap. They only thrive because they are stealing crudeoil to refine rubbish.

jmoore:

If that jagajaga refinery is worth investing, Dangote won't spend billions of dollars building a new refinery.

Those jagajaga refinery are scrap. They only thrive because they are stealing crudeoil to refine rubbish.

brain54:

Have you ever heard of a modular refinery...?

Those illegal bunkering refineries you see can be upgraded to modular refineries.

The guy you quoted is on point.

Dangote will invest in a conventional refinery because of the scope and scale of production and market targets he plans to meet.

Don't rubbish those things... You can make sense out of nonsense!

jmoore:


It is like saying that you want to turn a prOstitute to a virgin.

brain54:

The key word here is "upgraded..."

Take note of the word.

The major reason why those illegal refinery sites are that way is because they are stealing crudeoil and can leave at a moments notice and they have not been certified to meet environmental laws and standards.

They are just there to steal crude and don't care about the environment because of course there are illegal.

The point is you can clean up those sites we're they operate, upgrade them to modular refineries and make them legal. That way you solve the damage they cause to the environment.

Don't be dramatic with your virgin and prostitute analogy.

It doesn't apply in this circumstance!

dekis:
The rate of oil theft I alarming in rivers, bayelsa and delta