The Nigerian Navy Ship, NNS Pathfinder in Port Harcourt has destroyed a 3 million-litre capacity illegal refinery in the Degema Local Government Area of Rivers State.
The illegal refinery, comprising six refining camps, is located within Cawthorne Channel 2 on the coast of Rivers State.
The facility allegedly steals crude oil from a wellhead in the Oil Mining Lease-18 operated by Nigerian National Petroleum Company Ltd. and Sahara Energy.
The Navy said the operation was carried out by its Tactical Assault Squadron.
The Commander, NNS Pathfinder, Commodore Desmond Igbo, who conducted newsmen around the illegal refinery on Wednesday, expressed annoyance that the suspected oil thieves were steadily sabotaging the nation’s economy
Igbo said the miscreants were also destroying the environment, saying they had installed a six-inch pipeline running over 2km from the wellhead to the 3 million-litre capacity reservoir, which distributes crude to the six illegal refining camps.
He stated, “This is not the best way to earn a living. There are so many ways to earn a living instead of damaging the environment and also they are depriving the Federal Government of the needed revenue.
The NNS, Pathfinder Commander, who supervised the disconnection of the illegal pipeline from the wellhead and the destruction of the camps, warned youths to desist from illicit activities to make quick money but rather to embrace legitimate means of livelihood.
He said, “Here is NNPCL OML-18 oil wellhead that is being tapped with a six-inche hose connected to the wellhead by oil thieves.
