The management of Shell Petroleum Development Company, SPDC, on Monday, September 14, stated that an average of 37,000 barrels of crude oil was stolen daily from its Joint Venture (SPDC JV) facilities in the Niger Delta.
SPDC’s Head, Right of Way (RoW) Management, Afohron Sekobe, in a presentation at a seminar with the theme: “Effects of Pipeline Vandalism, Crude Oil Theft and Encroachment Issues,” organized by the company in Yenagoa for reporters in the region, highlighted oil theft, equipment failure, sabotage, pipeline vandalism and illegal refining as the main sources of pollution in the region.
According to him, findings showed that the criminal breach of oil facilities was the cause of over 75 per cent of spill incidents from SPDC JV pipelines in 2014 alone.
Giving graphic details of the operating mode of the oil thieves, Sekobe also noted that over 92 per cent of oil volume spilled form SPDC JV facilities between 2010 and 2014 was caused by oil theft.
Sekobe said illegal interference with pipelines and other illegal activities such as theft of wellhead equipment occasioned the deferment of additional 110,000 barrels of oil per day.
Noting that the company had recorded more sabotage and vandalism than oil theft, he stressed that the illegalities were all violations of the Oil Pipelines Act, 1990, especially Chapter 338, Part 3, Section 12 and Subsections 1 and 2 of the law.