Commander of the Joint Task Force in the Niger Delta, Rear Admiral John Okeke on Thursday, attributed the rise in oil output from 1.2 million barrels per day in January to 1.84 mbpd currently to the intensified onslaught against oil thieves by the military.
The JTF commander speaking at a press conference in Yenagoa, the Bayelsa State capital said the upscaling of the joint military operations which resulted to the feat followed a presidential order to increase oil production to 2.2 mbpd.
“Having worked assiduously to ensure that crude oil production from about 1.2mbpd at the beginning of the year to about 1.83mbpd currently, it becomes expedient for this conference today.
“Of course, this feat came along with challenges resulting in some of our colleagues paying the supreme price. The need for today’s conference is to assess our performances and projections for the year 2025 which is necessary to sustain the JTF efforts to enhance Nigerian economic prosperity towards our national development as emphasised by President Bola Tinubu,” Rear Adm. Okeke said.
The JTF commander explained that following a dip in oil output in the second quarter of 2024, the task force launched a 90 -day operation aimed at restoring oil and gas production to their full capacity in the South South and South East geopolitical zones.
He recalled that the operation was conducted in two phases with each phase lasting for 45 days, adding that the operation ended on October 16 with remarkable successes resulting in major achievements.
Rear Adm. Okeke listed the results of the enhanced operations to include the reduction in crude oil theft and illegal refining activities by about 85 percent within the fourth quarter of 2024.
Also, the commander said the task force terminated about 95 percent breaches on the trans-Niger, trans-Ramos and trans-Escravos pipelines in the last three months and a key performance indicator of 89, 96 and 97 percent in the Eastern, Western and Central Corridors respectively as at December 4.
“With the increased crude oil output from 1.2 mbpd in June 24 to 1.83 million bpd as at 11 December, attaining the 2.2 mbpd benchmark is achievable,” the commander added.
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He revealed that troops have commenced the picketing of facilities of suspected end-users of stolen crude and illegally refined products, notably asphalt plants, bitumen companies and hotels.
Rear Adm. Okeke further listed the bursting of a 4-man syndicate that specializes in the production of fake documents since 2011 for movement of stolen crude oil and illegally refined products, reintroduction of JTF’s roadblocks, deactivation of 1,546 illegal refining sites,1, 428 storage facilities and 1,121 large wooden boats as some of the successes recorded.
Other achievements, he said include the handling of 300 vehicles conveying crude oil and illegally refined products, recovery of about 15, 634, 207 litres of stolen crude oil, seizure of 4,004,968 litres of illegally refined Automotive Gas Oil, seizure 41,770 litres of kerosene and seizure of
273, 225 litres of petrol.
According to Rear Adm. Okeke, 1, 217 suspects were apprehended by the JTF within the period under review.
