WARRI – By Okiemute Okpomor Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS) Delta has in an operation destroyed Two thousand metric tons of crude oil allegedly stolen and equipment worth about N6000m used in running illegal refineries.
The operation which was carried out in Isele community near Bennett Island, Warri South-West Local Government Area, Delta state saw the destruction of a well-established and functioning illegal refinery operated in a terrified community.
No arrest was, however, made during the operation, which lasted
Naval personnel who carried out the operation discovered that the operators of the illegal refinery had been sourcing the crude oil used in their illicit business by tapping directly from a nearby wellhead using a hose from the wellhead to their storage tanks.
Speaking after the operation, Commodore Raimi Mohammed, Commanding Officer (C.O), NNS, Delta said that the operation was in continuation of the Command’s task of ridding the region of oil theft and illegal refining activities.
According to him, “In continuation with NNS Delta fight against crude oil theft, pipeline vandalism and criminal activities in our waterways, our patrol teams was informed about illegal refineries site somewhere around Isele village at Benneth Island. We moved in and what we saw was astonishing. It was a storage pit, the size of about seven rooms put together. There was a pipe connected directly from a wellhead and it was pumping continuously into the pit.”
He added, “The quantity of crude oil in the pit as at the time our men got here was about 2,000 metric tons. That is massive. The pipe was connected from the storage pit which was feeding smaller pits from where the vandals were cooking the oil.”
