Ex-militant leader, Government Ekpemupolo, popularly known as Tompolo led company has discovered another huge illegal pipeline connected to the 48-inch Trans Forcados Export Trunk line.
The company, Tantita Security Services Nigeria Limited, TSSNL, a surveillance company had recently discovered another 4 kilometre pipeline attached to the same Forcados.
The latest one, NewsSpecng learnt is at the rear of a military security post in Burutu Local Government Area of Delta State.
The discovery has lay credence to the claims of involvement of oil companies, Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPCL, and security officials in crude oil theft.
The pipelines so far discovered are linked to a location in the high sea, where they load crude oil into vessels and sell overseas.
The Shell Petroleum Development Company, SPDC, operates the Forcados Terminal in Ogulagha, which has a nameplate capacity to export 400,000 barrels per day.
It takes delivery of crude from the Forcados Oil Pipeline System and is the second largest pipeline network in the oil-producing region, after the Bonny Pipeline System in the eastern Niger Delta.
It would be recalled that the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited had on 4th October 2022 announced uncovering of an illegal four-kilometer pipeline from Forcados in Delta State to the sea and a loading port that was part of an elaborate crude theft operation for the last nine years.
Mele Kyari, group chief executive officer, NNPC who announced the syndicated theft when he appeared before a joint senate committee on Upstream, Downstream and Gas, revealed that three operational facilities of Forcados, Bonny and Brass oil terminals have all been shut down as a result of the high rate of crude oil theft, leading to the loss of about 600, 000 barrels per day (bpd).
“In the last six weeks, there has been a spill site in Bodo community in River’s state, which may affect the operations of Trans Niger pipeline if not clamped,” Kyari said.
“Hundred of illegal refineries in the country has led to the oil spill that made the country lose 120,000 bpd.”
He further stated that, in the course of the clamp down, the company has destroyed 350 illegal refineries, 273 wooden and 374 reservoirs. In addition, 1, 561 metal tanks were destroyed while over 49 seized trucks were burnt among others
