Recent revelations and discoveries have confirmed long time suspicions that Nigeria’s crude oil was being stolen.
Experts conclude that the stealing amounts to huge revenue loss for the country and wealth for the thieves.
In this report, AIT’s Nwese Igonor, takes a look at ways a few persons have been syphoning and diverting the country’s crude oil.
The Forcados oil terminal, located 65 kilometers away from western Niger Delta, has the capacity to store 5.25 million barrels of crude oil per day for export.
It is a Joint Venture between the NNPC and two multi-national oil companies, Shell and Agip.
It is the second largest pipeline network in the Niger Delta after the bonny oil pipeline system.
Some International oil companies and Nigerian independent companies operating in the western Niger Delta pump oil to the Forcados Oil Terminal for exports.
Tantita Security Services Nigeria Limited, TSSNL, a surveillance company operated by ex-militant leader, Government Ekpemupolo, and other security operatives unearthed the huge illegal pipeline connected to the 48-inch Trans Forcados Export Trunk line.
The illegal pipeline is connected to the trunk line through an abandoned pipeline in Forcados Terminal in Ogulagha and linked to a location in the high sea where they load crude oil into vessels and sell across the shores of Nigeria.
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Investigations show that it was easy for Illegal connections to occur in abandoned pipelines that have not been decommissioned and there are well above hundred of such pipelines across the oil region that can easily be compromised.
After trudging through the swamp all the way to where the crude is loaded and shipped overseas, it was obvious that oil theft is not an easy thing to be done as it requires expertise, huge resources and a whole lot more for a smooth and successful operation.
Therefore, checkmating the illegal trade must be done with sincerity of purpose and huge resources.
( Editor: Nkoli Omhoudu)
