The Nigeria National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) on Tuesday revealed that the Company has discovered an illegal 4km pipeline from forcados in Delta State to the sea, and a Loading Port that has operated in the last nine years.
The 4-kilometre connection from the Forcados export terminal, which typically exports around 250,000 barrels per day (bpd) of oil, into the sea was found during a clamp-down on oil theft in the past six weeks, NNPCL Chief Executive Mele Kyari told a parliamentary committee late on Tuesday.
Kyari, while speaking to a joint senate committee on Upstream, Downstream and Gas, lamented that though oil theft in Nigeria has been on for over 22 years,the dimensions it has assumed in recent time is unimaginable.
Three operational facilities of forcados , bonny and brass oil terminals have all been closed down due to alarming rate of crude oil theft, leading to the loss of about 600, 000 barrels per day.
He further revealed that in the last six weeks there has been a spill site in Bori community in Rivers state, which may affect the operations of Trans Nembe pipeline If not clamped.
In the course of the clamp down, the company destroyed 350 illegal refineries, 273 wooden while 374 reservoirs have been destroyed. 1, 561 metal tanks were destroyed while over 49 seized trucks were burnt among others.
He said the implications of the destruction is worse than the Ogoni spillage devastation in the affected areas, which have decimated Agriculture, and fishing in the communities.
After over four hours of engagements, the lawmakers proposed capital punishment for offenders, which they said, will be presented at plenary for consideration.
The committee, also resolved to embark on oversight to Port Harcourt and Warri Refineries to verify NNPCL’s claims of rehabilitation.