No fewer than nine illegal refinery plants with a combined total daily production estimated to be more than one million barrels have been discovered in three towns in Bayelsa State as the continuing fight against crude oil theft and illicit refineries in the Niger Delta intensifies.

Personnel from Daven Oil and Security Enterprises, one of the Federal Government’s pipeline security contractors in the Niger Delta, discovered the sites in cooperation with the Joint Task Force, JTF, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC, and the media.

The sites were discovered as part of “Operation No More Smoke” conducted by Daven Security Enterprises, with the goal of eliminating illegal oil bunkering activities in the region. The illegal refineries, locally known as kpofire, were found in Okordia/Zarama/Biseni in Yenagoa LGA and the neighbouring communities of Ibelebiri and Otuege(Agba) in Ogbia LGA of the state.

According to Okardi Yogo, the spokesperson and Mobilization Officer of Daven Oil and Security Enterprises, a total of nine sites have been uncovered during the operation. Yogo described this operation as the initial phase and mentioned that Daven Oil and Security Limited is responsible for protecting a section of the Niger Delta’s pipelines. The ongoing “Operations No More Smoke” aims to locate and dismantle illegal refineries, and the discovery process has yielded positive outcomes so far.

“Based on intelligence reports and support from our grand patron, General Amagbein Boro, we were able to uncover sites with about 15 ovens (tanks) with a capacity of 450,000 litres daily production in Okordia/Zarama/Biseni in Yenagoa council.

“We had difficulty accessing the sites because they are tucked away about eight kilometres across Taylor Creek in the swamp forest. We trekked for more than three hours before we got to the locations. We also discovered that the operators were tapping (sourcing) their production from Shell Petroleum Development Company, SPDC, pipelines in the area.

“We have also visited sites in Ibelebiri and Agba communities in Ogbia council of Bayelsa State and we have also uncovered in these areas,  many tanks have been constructed by illegal refineries operators with a production capacity of more than 500,000 barrels per day, and one of the standouts of that operation was the visible environmental impact. We saw two hectares of land totally destroyed by activities of artisanal crude oil refining.

“We will continue to uncover more and fetch them out from the roots. Our mandate is to protect the environment and oil facilities to boost oil production and the Nigerian economy, that is the task given to us. We will continue to collaborate and sensitize the communities and work with the leaders of the community.

“The message is very clear, that is not business as usual, therefore, we are calling on all those who are involved in these activities to desist from it and partner with us, so that the modular refineries we are clamouring for will come to us.

“This is a technical operation, we are on it and we will not give up until we bring oil theft to a halt.”