Pipeline Infrastructure, clears the air on discovery of 9 illegal refineries in Bayelsa

The management of a foremost indigenous oil and gas facility security company, Pipeline Infrastructure, has cleared the air on an online report earlier today, Monday July 3, headlined ‘9 illegal refineries with 1m/bpd production capacity uncovered in Bayelsa’, saying the discoveries were uncovered by operatives of Pipeline Infrastructure, in collaboration with the Joint Task Force, JTF as well as personnel of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC, not the name of any purported company, which the report was wrongly ascribed to.

The Coordinator of Operations, Pipeline Infrastructure, Ikurite B. David, who made the clarification, in a statement this evening, emphasized that no fewer than nine illegal refinery sites, with a combined total daily production estimated to be more than one million barrels, were uncovered in three communities across Bayelsa State.

According to Ikurite David, the discovery of the sites, aimed at eradicating the region of illegal oil bunkering activities, was carried out under “Operation No More Smoke” by operatives of Pipeline Infrastructure, including community guards of the company.

He explained that the illegal refineries commonly called kpofire in local parlance, were uncovered in Okordia/Zarama/Biseni in Yenagoa Local Government Area and the boundary communities of Ibelebiri and Otuege (Agba) in Ogbia Local Government Area of the state.

David, noted: “One of the busted illegal refinery sites, was located 8 kilometres inside the swamp forest of Zarama Clan. The discovery, was based on local intelligence and routine operations from officials of our company. We were able to uncover sites with about 15 oven (tanks) with a capacity of 450,000 litres daily production in Okordia/Zarama/Biseni in Yenagoa Local Government Area.

“We had difficulty accessing the sites, because they are tucked away about eight kilometres across the Taylor Creek in the swamp forest. Our community guards, trekked for more than three hours, before they 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 also visited sites in Ibelebiri and Agba communities in Ogbia Local Government Area of Bayelsa State, where we uncovered many tanks being constructed by illegal refineries’ operators with production capacity of more than 500,000 barrels per day. One of the standouts of that operation, was the visible environmental impact. We saw a two-hectare of land totally destroyed by activities of artisanal crude oil refining.

“Pipeline Infrastructure, 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 and we will continue to collaborate and sensitize the communities and work with the leaders of the community.”

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