By ZAKAA LAZARUS
The Nigerian Navy has recorded one of its most significant operational successes under Operation DELTA SENTINEL, dismantling a major illegal refining complex and recovering more than 205,000 litres of suspected stolen crude oil and illegally refined petroleum products in Rivers State.
Acting on credible intelligence, personnel of Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS) SOROH conducted a targeted operation within the Egboama/Ogbogolo axis of Ahoada West Local Government Area, leading to the discovery of a newly established illegal refining network.
The operation resulted in the discovery and deactivation of three illegal refining sites comprising six refining ovens, three reservoirs, and four dugout pits. Cumulatively, the sites contained about 38,500 litres of products suspected to be stolen crude oil and approximately 167,180 litres of suspected illegally refined Automotive Gas Oil (AGO), bringing the total volume of recovered products to 205,680 litres.
The scale of the discovery underscores the sophistication of criminal networks engaged in crude oil theft and illegal refining within the Niger Delta. By dismantling the refining infrastructure before it could sustain further illicit production, the operation dealt a significant setback to criminal enterprises responsible for economic sabotage, environmental degradation, and the loss of national revenue.
The illegal refining sites and all recovered products were handled in accordance with extant anti-crude oil theft procedures, effectively denying economic saboteurs access to critical infrastructure and products intended to sustain their criminal activities.
The successful operation reinforces the Nigerian Navy’s determination to sustain the operational momentum of Operation DELTA SENTINEL by targeting the infrastructure, logistics, and supply chains that underpin crude oil theft and illegal refining across the Niger Delta.
The Nigerian Navy remains resolute in protecting Nigeria’s maritime domain and critical oil and gas assets through sustained intelligence-driven operations in support of national economic security.
