The recent major breakthroughs by various security organizations saddled with the onerous responsibility to clamp down on illegal siphoning of Nigerian crude oil is quite enormous and currently yielding positive results.  Following these heartfelt achievements is the discovery of a150 metric tonnes of stolen crude oil vessel by the Nigerian private security company known as Tantita owned by the former Niger Delta resources agitator Mr. Government Ekpemupolo alias TomPolo.

As the cases of crude oil theft in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria approaches its unprecedented threshold, dwindling the country’s daily crude oil production to unimaginable level, a private security company Tantita Security Services Nigeria Limited, was then engaged by Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) to curb these nefarious activities. Since the engagement of this security outfit, the country’s crude oil production level has jumped from its lowest ebb of 700,000 barrels as at the point of the engagement to the present state of almost 1.2million barrels per.

Although the country is yet to meet its current OPEC quota which stands at 1.6 million barrels, these positive efforts by all present security architecture of the country is a right move in the right direction. Sighting the recent change of guards in the country’s military formations which was unconnected to the startling revelation made  by an another Niger Delta agitator Mr, Asari Dokunbo on the high level compromise of the high ranking naval officers on Nigeria crude oil and the indefatigable effort  Tantita personnels as power points in achieving this OPEC quota sooner than later.

On the recent arrest of the 150 metric tonnes stolen crude oil vessel, the Vessel, MT TURA II (IMO number: 6620462), owned by a Nigerian Registered Company, HOLAB MARITIME SERVICES LIMITED with Registration Number RC813311, was heading to Cameroun with the Cargo on board when it was apprehended at an offshore location with the Captain and Crew members on board.

Preliminary investigations revealed the Executive Director, Technical and Operations of Tantita Security Services, Captain Warredi Enisuoh, the crude oil cargo onboard was illegally sourced from a well jacket offshore Ondo State, Nigeria.

Further investigation into the activities of the vessel at the NNPC Ltd. Command and Control Centre also revealed that the Vessel has been operating in stealth mode for the last twelve (12) years. The last reported location of the Vessel was Tin Can Port in July 2011.

In his various media interviews Captain Enisuoh attributed this rare feat of his company to deployment of both human and technical intelligence in monitoring the movements of the vessel until it was finally.

“It was a bit of a joint operation. As you know, the NNPC has been at the forefront of battling this crude oil theft. As you can see, the military has also been very supportive when it comes to battling this crude oil theft. We got intelligence on this vessel a long time back.

As you know, it is a notorious ship. It has been notorious for stealing crude oil to foreign countries here and there. But somehow, it is not stronger than the Nigerian military might and with our intelligence and their support and power, we were able to bring this vessel to book on the 7th of July, 2023.,” He said.

 Also on these major achievements is the Nigerian Navy Ship, NNS Pathfinder recent, discovery, dismantled and excavated of an over 2KM pipeline illegally hot tapping well 17 of OML 18 oilfield owned by NNPC Ltd. in Elem-Krakrama creek, Degema Local Government Area of Rivers State.

OML 18 is a large block located to the south of Port Harcourt, and contains 11 oil and gas fields. Eight have been developed, but only four are currently producing: Cawthorne Channel, Awoba, Akaso and Alakiri. The terrain of the block is mangrove swamp, and it is heavily intersected by wide rivers and creeks. Field facilities are mounted on semi-submerged piled platforms and drilling requires a swamp barge. The block has been in production since 1970.

In March 2023 the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited and OML18 Energy Limited, both non-operating partners of Oil Mining Lease 18 announced the removal of Eroton as the operator of the joint venture in line with the provisions of the Joint Operating Agreement (JOA). The partners appointed NNPC Eighteen Operating Limited as the new operator, the statement said. Both entities jointly own 71.2 per cent equity in the JV. The statement explained the persisting inability of Eroton to meet the fiscal obligations of the federal government and inability to remit to the JV parties the proceeds of gas supplied to its affiliate, Notore.

Owing to o above present situation of the field It was gathered that the wellhead has just been fixed and yet to be commissioned by NNPCL, so the operating use of the field enabled the vandals to steal crude through illegal tapping point of 8inches pipeline running over 2 kilometers in multiple directions into the creeks.

NNS Pathfinder via first class intelligent information were able to uncovered two tapped wellheads at Kala-Ekweama and Elem-Krakama creeks in Asari-Toru and Degema within OML18 field subsequently mobilized its swamp bogey into the creeks to excavate the pipes, as luck ran out of four suspected oil thieves who got arrested in the process.

Narrating the incident to the media, the Commodore Ibrahim Suleiman, said the oil theft point was spotted by Naval’s patrol helicopter and he further expressed shock at the level of sophistication of the oil thieves, saying such large-scale theft cannot be masterminded by petty thieves or amateurs but a syndicate of high-level experts.

The NNS Pathfinder boss further said the Navy was already tracking the people involved, saying that though no arrests have been made in relation to the theft point on OML18 wellheads, the Navy was working with sister security agencies who specialized in such investigations.

“We came here with officials of NNPCL operators of OML18. We came with our heavy-duty equipment to make sure we dismantle the illegal structures that are being used to siphon crude illegally. A lot of pipes have been recovered from the wellhead and we have disconnected where they are being connected to.

“As an individual what I have seen here is way beyond what I have seen elsewhere. The level of sophistication is beyond our imagination. The individuals involved had taken their time and done a lot of measurements and a lot of welding was done here.”