Oil theft: Shell loses 37,000 barrels of crude daily

The management of Shell Petroleum Development Company has revealed that an average of 37,000 barrels of crude oil are being stolen on a daily basis from the SPDC Joint Venture facilities in the Niger Delta.

SPDC’s Head, Right of Way Management, Mr. Afohron Sekobe, said on Tuesday during a presentation  at a seminar with the theme, “Effects of Pipeline Vandalism, Crude Oil theft and Encroachment Issues”.

The seminar was organised by the oil multinational company in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State capital, for journalists in the region.

Sekobe  mentioned  oil theft, equipment failure, sabotage, pipeline vandalism and illegal refining as the main sources of pollution in the region.

He said investigation revealed 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.

Sekobe, whose presentation on the theme gave a graphic detail of the mode of operation of oil thieves, also noted that  over 92 per cent of oil volume spilled form SPDC JV facilities  between 2010 and 2014 was caused by oil-related theft.

He said illegal interference with pipelines and other illicit activities such as stealing of well head equipment caused the deferment of additional  110,000 barrels of production per day.

Sekobe, however, noted that the company had recorded more sabotage and vandalism than oil theft, adding 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.