The war by Nigeria’s federal government against crude oil theft and pipeline vandalism has recorded another major success as Tantita Security Services, operated by the ex-leader of the defunct MEND, Ekpemupolo, alias Tompolo, has uncovered another illegal pipeline used by oil thieves to siphon crude oil for export in Delta State.
This latest development is coming barely one week after the security firm discovered the illegal four-kilometre crude oil pipeline connected from Forcados terminal to the sea, which had been in operation for nine years.
In the latest discovery, a pipeline measuring one kilometre to the shore and another four kilometres to the loading bay, which was abandoned by ExxonMobil at Ogulagha in Burutu Local Government Area of the state was allegedly reconnected by the oil thieves to load stolen crude oil into export tankers.
Speaking to journalists on the discovery on Saturday, the Marine Intelligence Consultant to Tantita Security Services Limited, Captain Warredi Enisuo said the illegal pipeline was connected to the 48-inch Trans Forcados Export Trunkline.
Enisuo also conducted the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited’s General Manager in charge of the Gas Development Division, Mr. Buduwara Zakariya, who represented the Group Chief Executive Officer of NNPC Limited, Kyari and other officials around the scene of the incident.
Enisuo said: “The illegal pipeline was connected to another abandoned pipeline located within the vicinity which is owned by Nigerian Agip Oil Company Limited.
“The perpetrators of this organised crime tapped into a Shell-operated 48-inch export line. So, the crude oil has been cleaned up and is ready for export. It is quite expensive. They tapped into it to siphon the crude oil.
“But technologically, they were able to connect their pipe underwater and we traced the line to the point where it was tapped,” he explained.
He noted that “though the oil field belonged to Agip, which has not been put into use for a long time, the oil thieves decided to export crude oil to a jacket by connecting theirs through a riser out into the jacket where they export the stolen crude oil.”
In his remarks, the Managing Director of Tantita Security Services Limited, Mr. Kestin Pondi, said a lot of resources were put into tracking the illegal pipeline.
He warned oil thieves to steer clear of Tantita Security Services’ area of responsibility, noting that the Chairman of the firm, Ekpemupolo has zero tolerance for the menace of crude oil theft.
Also speaking, the General Manager, of the Gas Development Division of NNPC, Zakariya commended Tantita Security Services and other stakeholders for a job well done.
He said Kyari’s decision to send a delegation to the scene was to inform Nigerians that NNPCL is working round the clock to curb the menace of crude oil theft.
“NNPCL has been facing challenges and with stakeholders, it’s time to bring stability to the host communities and they have been trying to secure all oil and gas facilities, especially the ones which have to do with crude evacuation line”, he added.
The latest discovery was said to be directly behind a military security post, which is less than one kilometre from the Forcados Export Terminal in the Ogulagha community.
Tantita Security Services Limited had last week discovered another illegal four-kilometre crude oil pipeline connected from Forcados terminal to the sea and operated for the past nine years.
The Tompolo-backed security firm had only last week apprehended a vessel named ‘MT DEIMA with International Maritime Organisation (IMO) number: 7210525 while loading crude oil illegally along the Escravos river in Delta State.
The arrested vessel which was handed over to officials of the Joint Task Force (JTF) code-named ‘Operation Delta Safe’ was eventually set ablaze by the military officials 48 hours after the arrest.
Sylvester Idowu in Warri
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