The Nigerian Navy has recorded a major operational breakthrough under Operation DELTA SENTINEL with the dismantling of a large illegal refining complex and the recovery of 205,680 litres of suspected stolen crude oil and illegally refined petroleum products in Rivers State.
According to an official signed statement by the Director of Naval Information, Navy Captain Abiodun Folorunsho, personnel of Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS) SOROH carried out the intelligence-led operation within the Egboama/Ogbogolo axis of Ahoada West Local Government Area, where they uncovered a newly established illegal refining network.
During the operation, the naval personnel discovered and deactivated three illegal refining sites comprising six refining ovens, three reservoirs and four dugout pits. 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 statement noted that the scale of the discovery highlights the sophistication of criminal networks involved in crude oil theft and illegal refining in the Niger Delta. It added that dismantling the refining infrastructure before it could sustain further illicit production dealt a significant blow to criminal syndicates responsible for economic sabotage, environmental pollution and the loss of national revenue.
The Navy further disclosed that the illegal refining sites and all recovered products were handled in line with extant anti-crude oil theft procedures, effectively denying economic saboteurs access to critical infrastructure and petroleum products intended to sustain their illicit operations.
It stressed that the successful operation reinforces the Nigerian Navy’s resolve to sustain the momentum of Operation DELTA SENTINEL by targeting the infrastructure, logistics and supply chains that support crude oil theft and illegal refining across the Niger Delta.
The statement reaffirmed the Nigerian Navy’s commitment to protecting Nigeria’s maritime domain and safeguarding critical oil and gas assets through sustained intelligence-driven operations in support of national economic security.
