By Harriet Tornguvan
The Commander of Operation Delta Safe, Rear Admiral John Okeke, has announced a significant reduction in crude oil theft and related criminal activities, reporting an 85% decrease in the fourth quarter of 2024.
Rear Admiral Okeke shared this achievement during a press briefing at the OPDS headquarters in Bayelsa as part of a media tour from the Defence Headquarters.
He attributed the success to a targeted 90-day operation launched by OPDS, following a directive from the President and Commander-in-Chief to address the decline in crude oil production earlier this year.
"The goal was to curtail oil theft and increase production to meet the 2.2 million barrels per day (bpd) benchmark.
Rear Admiral Okeke explained that the operation was conducted in two 45-day phases, focusing on restoring full oil and gas production capacity in the South-South and South-East geopolitical zones.
He said, the initiative resulted in several significant outcomes, including maintaining terminal factors of approximately 95% on key pipelines over the last three months.
Additionally, the Key Performance Indicators for the Eastern, Western, and Central Corridors stood at 89%, 96%, and 97%, respectively.
Commodore Okeke also noted that crude oil output increased from 1.2 million bpd in June 2024 to 1.83 million bpd by December 11, 2024, bringing the nation closer to its production target.
He stated that key accomplishments included the interception of facilities linked to the consumption of stolen crude and illegally refined products.
Rear Admiral Okeke also revealed the dismantling of a four-member syndicate involved in forging documents for the movement of stolen crude and IR products since 2011.
"The suspects have been handed over to the appropriate authorities for further investigation, he stated.
Commodore Okeke stated that OPDS reestablished roadblocks on major routes, deactivated 1,546 illegal refining sites, destroyed over 1,428 storage facilities and 1,121 large wooden boats, and intercepted more than 300 vehicles transporting crude oil and IR products.
"The operation also seized approximately 15.6 million liters of stolen crude oil and 4 million liters of illegally refined diesel.
Rear Admiral Okeke highlighted improved community relations, resolving 98 corporate social responsibility disputes between international oil companies like Chevron, Shell, and TotalEnergies, and their host communities.
He acknowledged that these efforts have fostered enhanced synergy among stakeholders, including government security agencies, production-sharing contractors, and IOCs.
The OPDS Commander reaffirmed the operation's commitment to safeguarding oil and gas infrastructure while deterring criminal activities such as militancy, sea robbery, and crude oil theft.
He emphasized the importance of maintaining security in the Joint Operations Area to support economic stability in the Niger Delta region.
This milestone underscores OPDS's dedication to protecting national assets and ensuring sustainable growth in the oil and gas sector, he added.
