An illicit crude oil refining facility was discovered in a forest in the Odagwe community of the Etche Local Government Area of Rivers State by the Nigerian Army’s 6 Division Garrison in Port Harcourt.
This occurs just three days after the Nigerian Navy said that its agents broke into an illicit oil refinery located at Abonema Wharf in the Port Harcourt region of the state. The complex included 750,000 liters of illicitly refined diesel, also known as automated gas oil.
One million liters of crude oil were collected by the army during an operation against oil theft and illicit oil bunkering under the command of Brigadier General Eddie Effiong, Sector 3, Operation Delta Safe, and Commander, 6 Division Garrison.
Eight crude oil reservoirs and five boilers totaling more than one million liters of stolen crude were also found in the communal forest.
Speaking to reporters soon after the operation on Friday, Effiong stated that the discovery was the result of a tip-off and mentioned that each reservoir held roughly 100,000 liters of petroleum.
He stated, “In continuation of the fight against crude oil theft and illegal oil bunkering, we got a tip-off from our contacts that illegal oil refinery has commenced on the opposite side of this road after we destroyed them on the other side.
“The oil thieves have relocated here and then reestablished their illegal refineries and continue their illegal activities.
“Coming here today, we found out that they have truly relocated to the right side and reestablished their illegal refining sites and they are still trying to establish more sites.
“In this reestablished illegal refining site, we have discovered eight reservoirs and five cooking pots. And from our gathering, the minimum quantity of crude in each reservoir is nothing less than 100,000 litres of stolen crude that is about to be refined into AGO.”
The division commander gave an assurance that until the battle against illicit oil bunkering and oil theft in the Niger Delta region is won, the division would not rest on its laurels.