The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) Ltd said on Monday that an 800,000-litre vessel carrying stolen crude oil had been intercepted offshore while heading to Cameroon and would be destroyed as a deterrent to oil theft.
Crude theft from pipelines and wells in the Niger Delta has hobbled the country’s output in recent years and is one of the biggest challenges to confronting the administration of President Bola Tinubu.
NNPC said the oil was stolen from a well in Ondo State.
The MT Tura II vessel was owned by locally registered Holab Maritime Services Limited and had no valid documentation for the oil, NNPC said.
NNPC spokesperson, Garba Deen Muhammad said the vessel has been in stealth mode for 12 years, making detection difficult.
“Following the receipt of credible intelligence, Tantita Security Services, a private security contractor engaged by NNPC Ltd, intercepted a suspicious vessel with a cargo of crude oil on board on July 7, 2023.
“The vessel, MT TURA II (IMO number: 6620462), owned by a Nigerian registered company, Holab Maritime Services Limited with registration number RC813311, was heading to Cameroun with the cargo on board when it was apprehended at an offshore location (latitude: 5.8197194477543235°, longitude: 4.789002723991871°), with the captain and crew members on board,” Muhammad said.
He said preliminary investigations revealed that the crude oil cargo onboard was illegally sourced from a well jacket offshore in Ondo.
“There was no valid documentation for the vessel or the crude oil cargo onboard at the time of the arrest. Further investigation into the activities of the vessel at the NNPC Ltd command and control centre also revealed that the vessel has been operating in stealth mode for the last 12 years. The last reported location of the vessel was Tin Can Port in July 2011.
“Details of this arrest and the outcomes of the investigations were escalated to the appropriate government authorities, upon which it was concluded to destroy the vessel to serve as a strong warning and deterrent to all those participating in such illegal activities to cease and desist.
“Destroying vessels involved in transporting stolen crude oil is of paramount importance as a strong deterrent.
“The illegal trade of stolen crude oil not only inflicts significant economic losses on Nigeria and legitimate stakeholders in the oil industry, but also perpetuates a cycle of corruption, environmental devastation, and social instability.”
Muhammad assured that NNPC Ltd would sustain the momentum in the war against crude oil theft until it is brought to a halt,” he added.
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