Nigerian Navy personnel, stationed at NNS Jubilee within the Ikot Abasi Native Authorities Space of Akwa Ibom, have reportedly seized a ship carrying about 100,000 litres of crude oil.
The Commander of the NNS Jubilee, Commodore Martins Fakrogha, disclosed this throughout a press briefing on Thursday in Ibaka, Mbo Native Authorities Space of the State.
He revealed that the vessel was intercepted on Tuesday round 5:00 a.m. because it was nearing one of many state’s oil fields.
Fakrogha famous {that a} dependable supply had alerted the Navy about a big vessel, recognized as a Cotonou boat, and noticed roughly 23.9 nautical miles off the coast of Imo River.
“From a reputable supply, a big boat often known as Cotonou boat was sighted at about 23.9 nautical miles seaward of Imo River entrance,” he mentioned.
He additional defined that the crew of the boat fled after noticing a vessel from the Personal Maritime Logistics Help Firm (PMLSC), which was carrying Navy personnel.
Aside from the 100,000 litres of crude oil, different gadgets seized embrace 12 Gee Pee tanks, three service tanks, 4 submersible pumps, and three outboard engines.
Fakrogha famous that the operation that led to the seizure was a part of Operation Delta Sanity part 2, which goals to fight unlawful actions within the Niger Delta area, significantly, oil theft, pipeline vandalism, smuggling, and piracy.
“The aims of the Operation Delta Sanity 2 is to checkmate unlawful bunkering, pipeline vandalism, smuggling, piracy amongst different maritime crimes within the Japanese Flank of the nation’s maritime setting with a view to extend the nation’s crude oil manufacturing,” he defined.
He confused that the Navy will proceed to display its dedication to serving to Nigeria increase its crude oil manufacturing, and minimise maritime-related crimes.
He warned oil thieves and different criminals working within the area to cease their acts of “financial sabotage” or threat the wrath of the Nigerian Navy.
About Operation Delta Sanity
The Operation Delta Sanity is an operation of the Nigerian Navy to fight oil theft in Nigeria’s Niger Delta and Japanese areas. On the flagoff of the operation in January 2024, the Chief of the Naval Workers, Vice Admiral Emmanuel Ogalla, assured that the operation would the nation “to finish the menace of crude oil theft, unlawful oil bunkering and different types of insecurity inside Nigeria’s maritime setting.”
‘Operation Delta Sanity’ changed ‘Operation Dakatar Da Barawo,’ which was launched in April 2022. For the reason that launch of OPDS, the Nigerian Navy has introduced numerous seizures of unlawful oil bunks and vessels, and arrests of oil thieves.
- Within the first week of 2025, the Navy introduced the launch of the second part of the operation. Nairametrics reported that OPDS II was launched in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, at a ceremony attended by the Minister of State for Petroleum Assets (Oil), Heineken Lokpobiri.
- Lokpobiri mentioned the collaboration between the Federal Authorities and the Nigerian Navy will assist Nigeria obtain its goal of manufacturing 3 million barrels per day of crude oil by the tip of 2025.
- He famous that the primary part of the operation was instrumental to the rise in Nigeria’s oil output to about 1.8 million bpd by the tip of 2024.
Lokpobiri expressed concern concerning the persistent sabotage of the Trans Niger Pipeline, a significant pipeline that transports about 200,000 barrels of crude oil per day. He mentioned he hoped that the Navy would assist scale back the size of theft.
What it’s best to know
- Oil theft and chronic vandalism of crude oil instalments, particularly within the Niger Delta, are main challenges going through Nigeria’s oil and gasoline sector. Nevertheless, the Nigeria Nationwide Petroleum Firm Restricted (NNPCL) claims it’s successful the conflict on crude oil theft. It introduced the uncovering of hundreds of unlawful refineries and pipelines in 2024.
- Nigeria has elevated its crude oil output to about 1.8 million barrels of crude oil per day. In response to the federal authorities, this can be a testomony to its progress within the conflict on crude oil.
- President Bola Tinubu’s administration targets over 2.5 million bpd by the tip of 2025. Additional discount of crude oil theft is essential to assembly this goal.
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