Navy operations boost Nigeria’s crude output to 1.8 million barrels – NHQ

The Nigerian Navy headquarters has revealed its operational efforts in the nation’s maritime domain have greatly curbed oil theft, leading to a significant increase in Nigeria’s daily crude oil production output from 1.23 million barrels in October 2022 to 1.8 million barrels in October 2024.

Naval operatives also arrested two vessels, MT SWEET MIRI and MT VILLANIRIS 1, both allegedly laden with a combined quantity of 4 million litres of stolen crude oil.

Briefing newsmen today, Chief of Training and Operations, Naval headquarters, Rear Admiral Eugenia Olusegun Ferreira, noted that Nigeria’s maritime domain is a hub of shipping activities and has huge proven oil reserves and numerous oil and gas installations.

He added that there was a need to protect the maritime space in order to ensure the economic prosperity of the country.

According to Ferreira, in line with its statutory roles as encapsulated in the 1999 Constitution of the FRN, the Nigerian Navy has continued to respond to current and emerging security threats in the maritime domain.

“This is to enhance maritime security and create the desired environment for economic prosperity and national development. In this regard, the Nigerian Navy conducts anti-oil theft, anti-piracy, anti-smuggling and anti-Illegal fishing operations amongst other functions.

“Anti-oil theft operations remain the Navy’s most critical function due to the contribution of oil revenue to Nigeria’s economic survival. However, some unpatriotic elements are determined to plunder the country’s oil resources for personal gains through oil theft and other acts of economic sabotage.

“Over the years, the Nigerian Navy emplaced measures to address the scourge of oil theft. These include intelligence-led patrols, robust Maritime Domain Awareness and the Choke Point Management and Control regime involving the deployment of Naval Security Stations at strategic choke points within the creeks to deny oil thieves freedom of action.

“In the past 4 years, the Nigerian Navy has confiscated over 8.1 million barrels of stolen crude oil, 86,500 MT of illegally refined AGO, 788,312 litres of illegally sourced PMS and about 21 million litres of Kerosene. Other arrests include 120 barges, 181 speed boats, 1,453 wooden boats laden with stolen products as well as 118 vehicles conveying stolen petroleum products.

“During the period, the Nigerian Navy deactivated over 1,528 illegal refining sites and 8,790 storage tanks, and arrested 392 suspected oil thieves. The suspects were handed over to relevant law enforcement agencies for further investigation and prosecution.

“Of particular note were the arrests of MT SWEET MIRI and MT VILLANIRIS 1 both laden with a combined quantity of 4 million litres of stolen crude oil. Mindful of the possibility of certain bad eggs within, the Nigerian Navy has strict disciplinary systems to deal with such personnel in line with the Armed Forces Act.

“In the course of our operations, some gallant personnel have paid the supreme price while fighting oil theft. We salute their sacrifice and pray for the families they left behind.

“In view of its transnational nature, the fight against oil theft, also involves collaboration with our neighbours such as Cameroon, Benin and Togo who assisted in the apprehension of vessels such as MT NEW ANGEL and MT JASMINE involved in crude oil theft,” he said.

According to him, in November 2024, the Navy hosted multinational exercises CROCODILE LIFT and GRAND AFRICAN NEMO, involving regional navies and partners from countries like France, the UK, and Spain, aimed at enhancing international collaboration to curb maritime crimes in the Gulf of Guinea.

He noted that the exercises were geared toward enhancing our international partnership and collaboration to curb maritime crimes in the Gulf of Guinea.

Ferreira also stressed the Navy’s commitment to transparency, working with regulators such as NUPRC, NMDPRA, NIMASA, and NNPCL in the monitoring and enforcement of approvals granted to operators to lift crude oil and other refined products.

He added, “This enables the Nigerian Navy to ensure compliance for legitimate upstream and downstream operations on behalf of the regulators.

“Nigerian Navy efforts have greatly curbed oil theft and led to a significant increase in Nigeria’s daily crude oil production output from 1.23 million barrels in October 2022 to 1.8 million barrels in October 2024 as revealed by the NUPRC.

“The positive outcome of the Nigerian Navy’s anti-crude oil operations is also evident in the Trans – Forcados and Trans – Niger pipelines which have continued to report about 100 per cent terminal factor in the past few months.

“Furthermore, recall that in 2022, the Nigerian Navy succeeded in eradicating piracy in Nigerian waters, and Nigeria was delisted from the International Maritime Bureau List of piracy prone countries.”