Nigerian Navy Discovers 40,000 Litres of Suspected Crude Oil in Delta

By Atlantic Reports

The Nigerian Navy has uncovered approximately 40,000 litres of substance suspected to be crude oil in a large dugout reservoir during an anti-crude oil theft operation in Delta State.

The discovery was made on Wednesday by the Nigerian Navy Ship DELTA (NNS DELTA) in the Oteghele general area following credible intelligence on suspected crude oil theft and related illicit activities.

The Director of Naval Information, Navy Capt. Abiodun Folorunsho, disclosed the development in an operational report made available to journalists on Thursday in Abuja.

Navy Reports Repeated Discoveries

According to Folorunsho, the suspected crude oil and the dugout reservoir were subsequently handled in accordance with established procedures.

He said the latest discovery followed an earlier intervention by NNS DELTA in the same Oteghele area.

On September 21, the naval ship reportedly uncovered about 30,000 litres of substance suspected to be crude oil in the area.

The repeated discoveries, Folorunsho said, demonstrated the Navy's continued efforts to disrupt illicit crude oil storage activities and restrict access to petroleum resources by criminal operators.

The Navy did not provide further details in the report on the ownership of the reservoir, the identity of any suspects or whether arrests were made in connection with the latest discovery.

Intelligence-Driven Operations

Folorunsho reaffirmed the Navy's commitment to sustaining intelligence-driven operations aimed at disrupting crude oil theft and protecting Nigeria's critical petroleum infrastructure and resources.

The latest operation forms part of broader efforts by security agencies to tackle illegal activities within oil-producing areas of the Niger Delta, where crude oil theft and related activities have remained a concern for the petroleum sector.

For now, the Navy's account establishes the discovery and recovery operation, while details concerning the source of the suspected crude oil, those responsible and any subsequent prosecution remain unclear.

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