By Moses Patience Chat
Security operatives in the Niger Delta Region of Nigeria have discovered nine illegal oil refining sites with a combined daily production of more than one million barrels in Okordia, Zarama, and Biseni communities of Bayelsa State.
The sites were uncovered by operatives of Daven Oil and Security Enterprises, one of the Federal Government pipeline security contractors in the Niger Delta, in collaboration with the Joint Task Force (JTF), Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), and the media.
This was revealed by the spokesman and Mobilization Officer of Daven Oil and Security Enterprises, Okardi Yogo, in an interview with journalists.
The discovery of the sites was carried out under “Operation No More Smoke” embarked upon by Daven Security Enterprise, which is aimed at eradicating the region of illegal oil bunkering activities.
The illegal refineries commonly called kpofire in local parlance were uncovered in Okordia, Zarama, Biseni in Yenagoa LGA and the boundary communities of Ibelebiri and Otuege(Agba) in Ogbia LGA of the state.
According to Yogo based on intelligence reports and support from our grand patron, General Amagbein Boro, we were able to uncover sites with about 15 ovens with a capacity of 450,000 litres of daily production in Okordia, Zarama, and Biseni in Yenagoa council.
“We had difficulty accessing the sites because they are tucked away about eight kilometres across the Taylor Creek in the swamp forest. We trekked for more than three hours before we got to the locations. We also discovered that the operators were tapping their production from Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) pipelines in the area.
“We have also visited sites in Ibelebiri and Agba communities in Ogbia council of Bayelsa State and we have also uncovered in these areas, many tanks being constructed by illegal refineries operators with production capacity of more than 500,000 barrels per day, and one of the standouts of that operation was the visible environmental impact. We saw two hectares of land totally destroyed by activities of artisanal crude oil refining,” he lamented.
He assured that the Company will continue to uncover more illegal oil sites and fetch them out from the roots and that “our mandate is to protect the environment and oil facilities to boost oil production and the Nigerian economy, that is the task given to us and we will continue to collaborate and sensitize the communities and work with the leaders of the community.
Yogo warned all those who are involved in illegal oil activities to desist from such so that the modular refineries Nigeria is clamouring for will surface.“This is a technical operation, we are on it and we will not give up until we bring oil theft to a halt,” he said.
