TheNewsGuru

Tag: Afremo A Platform

  • Crude oil theft: Shell discovers more illegal connections on export pipeline

    Crude oil theft: Shell discovers more illegal connections on export pipeline

    The Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria Limited (SPDC) says it has discovered illegal connections on the onshore section of the 48-inch Forcados export pipeline.

    TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports Shell made this known while saying it will resume crude oil exports at the Forcados oil terminal by October ending when ongoing repairs would have been completed.

    The Forcados Oil Terminal, operated by the SPDC, is where the Afremo A Platform, a platform where crude oil theft has been reported, is located.

    The Forcados export terminal typically exports around 250,000 barrels of crude oil per day. The SPDC declared a Force Majeure on oil exports from the terminal in August.

    Force Majeure is a legal clause inserted in contracts to absolve parties from liabilities in the event of circumstances beyond their control.

    SPDC’s Media Relations Manager, Abimbola Essien-Nelson on Wednesday disclosed that the illegal connections were discovered on the 48-inch Forcados export pipeline during surveillance.

    Essien-Nelson stated that in addition to the repairs, SPDC is working to remove and clamp theft points on the onshore pipelines. She stressed that active illegal connections to SPDC’s joint venture production lines and facilities in the western Niger Delta and inactive illegal connections would be removed.

    “This is to ensure full crude oil receipts at the terminal. This scheduled programme is continuous as new illegal connections are identified during surveillance of pipelines.

    “An example of such illegal connection is that on the onshore section of the 48-inch Forcados export pipeline which is currently not active and has no sign of leak at the interconnection point,’’ she stated.

    Essien-Nelson reiterated SPDC’s commitment to running its assets safely, reliably and in accordance with globally-accepted standards.

    “SPDC continues to work tirelessly, alongside government and other partners towards the eradication of crude theft from its infrastructure,” she stated.

  • Crude oil heist: What is NPPC Limited not telling Nigerians?

    Crude oil heist: What is NPPC Limited not telling Nigerians?

    Recently, the Group Chief Executive Officer of NNPC Limited, Mele Kyari announced the discovery of an illegal oil pipeline that is routed into the sea and used to steal crude oil from Nigeria.

    TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports that the discovery has been touted as the biggest crude oil heist in the country.

    Narrating how the illegal oil pipeline is routed to steal crude oil from the country, Kyari said “Oil theft in the country has been going on for over 22 years but the dimension and rate it assumed in recent times is unprecedented”.

    He added: “In the course of the clampdown within the last six weeks, 395 illegal refineries have been deactivated, 274 reservoirs destroyed, 1,561 metal tanks destroyed, 49 trucks seized.

    “The most striking of all, is the four-kilometre illegal oil connection line from Forcados Terminal into the sea which had been in operation undetected for nine solid years”.

    Kyari also said that while thieves often tap land-based pipelines to siphon oil undetected, an illegal line in the ocean is highly unusual and suggests a more sophisticated theft operation.

    However, checks by TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) indicate that a case of an illegal pipeline routed into the ocean has been reported as far back as 2017.

    The checks follow a documentary released by Channels TV, which unearthed Afremo A Platform, owned by the Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC), a local subsidiary of Shell, as the point from which crude oil is stolen from the country.

    TNG reports that the Afremo A Platform is located in the Forcados (Estuary and Afremo) Offshore Oil Field. Forcados Offshore Oil Field is operated by the SPDC. The Forcados export terminal typically exports around 250,000 barrels of crude oil per day.

    Afremo A Platform
    Afremo A Platform || Photo: Strides

    In 2017, ten (10) suspected oil thieves on board MT TECNE Vessel were arrested by the Nigerian Navy while they were siphoning crude oil into the vessel from the Afremo A platform. The suspects were one Nigerian, two Pakistanis, three Ghanians, one Indonesian, one Beninois and two Ukrainians. TNG gathers that the suspects were eventually handed over to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for prosecution.

    On their modus operandi, findings reveal that the vessel used in siphoning crude oil from the Afremo A Platform goes into the high sea during the day, and come late in the night to connect to the jacket to siphon crude oil.

    That same year, the suspects were arraigned in court and remanded in a prison in Port Harcourt, Rivers State by a Federal High Court Presided over by Justice J. K. Omotosho. Some suspects arrested and arraigned in court for siphoning crude oil from the Afremo A Platform were eventually jailed for 7 years.

    The foreigners are two Pakistanis: Mohammed Ejaz, Nasser Khan; two Ukranians: Oleksandr Nazarenko, Oleksandr Kashernvi; one Ghanaian: Romeo Annang, and one Indonesian: Fredrik Fatin Omenu. Their Nigerian counterpart: David Otuohi bagged same jail term with them.

    However, shockingly, they were given the option of N2 million fine. Meanwhile, the company involved in the crime: Asztral Shipping Corporation SA was wound up by the court while the vessel carrying the offensive crude oil: MT TECNE, a.k.a MT STAR (Vessel) was forfeited to the Federal Government.

    The questions Nigerians are asking are: “how come the NNPC is just announcing the discovery”, “why is the NNPC announcing the discovery as though it was made yesterday”, “who are the thieves”, “what happened to the suspects arrested”, “what about the option of fine”, “who are their sponsors”, “is the Afremo A Platform being used to siphon crude oil again in recent times”.

  • Court jails Nigerian, 6 foreigners 7 years for crude oil theft

    Court jails Nigerian, 6 foreigners 7 years for crude oil theft

    Justice J. K. Omotosho of the Federal High Court sitting in Port Harcourt, Rivers State has convicted and sentenced six foreigners and a Nigerian to seven years imprisonment for oil theft.

    They were jailed on Monday, November 23, 2020 after three years of diligent prosecution by the Port Harcourt Zonal Office of the Economic And Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.

    The foreigners are two Pakistanis: Mohammed Ejaz, Nasser Khan; two Ukranians: Oleksandr Nazarenko, Oleksandr Kashernvi; one Ghanaian: Romeo Annang, and one Indonesian: Fredrik Fatin Omenu.

    Their Nigerian counterpart: David Otuohi bagged same jail term with them.

    The convicts were arraigned on Tuesday, 21 November, 2017, alongside three other foreigners and another Nigerian for oil theft.

    The other three foreigners Victor Mikpayi (Beninois ), Francis Ahorlu and Kwesi Attah (Ghanaians), and Victor Azebiri (Nigerian) were discharged and acquitted by the court.

    They were all docked alongside a company: Asztral Shipping Corporation SA, and a Vessel, MT. TECNE (a.k.a MT STAR), on four count charges bordering on conspiracy, dealing in petroleum products without a licence and tampering with oil pipelines.

    Count one of the charge read: “that you Victor Azebiri, David Otuhohi, Mohammed Ejaz, Naseer Khan, Oleksandr Nazarenko, Oleksandr Kashernvi, Romeo Annang, Francis Ahorlu, Kwesi Attah, Victor Mikpayi, Frederik Fatin Omenu Astral Shipping Corporation SA, MT TECNE a.k.a MT STAR (Vessel), Peter Ala (at large), David Ogoma, a.k.a Ambassador (at large) and others now at large, on or about the 20th and/or 25th day of April, 2017 at Escravos within the jurisdiction of this honourable court did conspire among yourselves to commit felony to wit: distribute, deal in, or with petroleum product without appropriate licence and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 3(6) of the Miscellaneous Offences Act CAP M17 of the Revised Edition (Laws of the Federation of Nigeria) 2007 and Punishable under Section 1(17) of the same Act”.

    Another count charge read “that you Victor Azebiri, David Otuhohi, Mohammed Ejaz, Naseer Khan, Oleksandr Nazarenko, Oleksandr Kashernvi, Romeo Annang, Francis Ahorlu, Kwesi Attah, Victor Mikpayi, Frederik Fatin Omenu Astral Shipping Corporation SA, MT TECNE a.k.a MT STAR (Vessel), Peter Ala (At large), David Ogoma, a.k.a Ambassador (at large) and others now at large, on or about the 25th day of April, 2017 at Escravos within the jurisdiction of this honourable court did without appropriate authority or licence distribute, deal in, or with petroleum product to wit: 1905.836 cubic litres of crude oil conveyed in a vessel christened “MT TECNE” (VESSEL) and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 1(17) (a) of the Miscellaneous Offences Act CAP M17 of the Revised Edition (Laws of the Federation of Nigeria) 2007 and Punishable under Section 1(17) of the same Act”.

    The defendants pleaded not guilty to the charges when they were read to them. Their pleas prepared grounds for their trial by the EFCC, which for three years presented evidence and witnesses that testified against the defendants in court.

    In his judgment on Monday, Justice Omotosho found the 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th and 11th defendants guilty of all the four-count charges and sentenced them to seven years imprisonment with an option of fine of N2,000,000 (Two Million Naira only) each while the 1st, 8th, 9th and 10th defendants were discharged and acquitted on the ground that “they were not linked to the commission of the crime”. The sentences run concurrently from their date of arraignment.

    The company involved in the crime: Asztral Shipping Corporation SA was wound up by the court while the vessel carrying the offensive crude oil: MT TECNE, a.k.a MT STAR (Vessel) was forfeited to the Federal Government.

    The suspected oil thieves ran into troubled waters when their ship was intercepted by the NNS DELTA on 25 April, 2017 at Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC), Afremo ‘A’ Terminal, South East of Escravos in Burutu Local Government Area of Delta State for illegal loading of petroleum products suspected to be crude oil.

    The crew members connived with Victor Azeberi (the 1st defendant); one Peter Ala and David Ogoma (AKA) Ambassador, who are now at large, to siphon about 1905.836 cubic litres of crude oil.

    The ship had no clearance from relevant Nigerian maritime agencies to navigate in Nigerian waters and all the foreign crew on board the ship had no valid documents to enter Nigeria.

  • Nigerian, foreign crude oil thieves remanded in PH’s prison

    Nigerian, foreign crude oil thieves remanded in PH’s prison

    One Nigerian, two Pakistanis, three Ghanaians, one Indonesian, one Beninois and two Ukrainians arrested for crude oil theft from the Afremo A Platform have been remanded in prison in the country.

    TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports that the Nigerian among them, who is the Chief Officer while the Captain is a Pakistani, were remanded in prison by Justice J. K. Omotosho of the Federal High Court Sitting in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.

    The Nigerian and the nine foreigners were remanded in Port Harcourt’s prison.

    The suspects are Mohammed Ejaz, Naseer Khan (Pakistani), Oleksandr Nazarenko, Oleksandr kashernvi (Ukrainians), Romeo Annang, Francis Ahorlu, Kwesi Attah (Ghanaians), Victor Mikpayi (Beninois), Fredrik Fatin Omenu (Indonesian), Victor Azebiri, David Otuhohi (Nigerians) and a company: Asztral Shipping Corporation SA, and a Vessel, MT. TECNE (a.k.a MT STAR). They were remanded pending arraignment and hearing of a four-count charge bordering on conspiracy, dealing in petroleum products without a license and tampering with oil pipelines.

    At the commencement of proceedings for their arraignment on Wednesday, the counsel to the EFCC, Kayode Oni, brought before the court an ex-parte application seeking the leave of the court to hear the defendants’ charge filed during the annual vacation of the court which was granted by the judge.

    The counsel to the 2nd -11th defendants, Abiye Atorudibo, however, notified the court that the 5th, 6th and 11th defendants who are Ukrainians and Indonesians are not proficient in English language and requested that the prosecution provide interpreters for the accused persons.

    In response, Mr. Oni asked for a short adjournment to get interpreters for some of the foreigners and remand the defendants in prison as the EFCC’s cell was congested.

    Justice Omotoso consequently adjourned the matter to September 6, 2017 for arraignment and hearing. He ordered that the prosecution provide interpreters for the accused persons and remanded the defendants in Port Harcourt prison.

    Trouble came for the suspects when their ship was intercepted by the NNS DELTA on 25 April, 2017 at Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC), Afremo ‘A’ Terminal, South-east of Escravos in Burutu Local Government Area of Delta State, for illegal loading of petroleum products suspected to be crude oil.

    It was alleged that the crew members connived with Victor Azeberi (the 1st defendant); one Peter Ala and David Ogoma alias Ambassador, who are now at large, to siphon about 1905.836 cubic litres of crude oil.

    The ship allegedly had no clearance from relevant Nigerian maritime agencies to navigate in Nigerian waters and all the foreign crew on board the ship had no valid documents to enter Nigeria.

  • Nigerian, 9 foreigners arrested for crude oil theft in Delta

    Nigerian, 9 foreigners arrested for crude oil theft in Delta

    The Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS), DELTA said it has nabbed 10 suspected oil thieves on board MT TECNE Vessel in Delta.

    The Commander of NNS Delta, Commodore Ibrahim Dewu, disclosed while parading the suspects at Focados River, Burutu Local Government Area of Delta on Wednesday.

    The suspects are one Nigerian, two Pakistanis, three Ghanians, one Indonésian, one Béninois and two Ukrainians.

    Dewu said that the suspects were caught in the early hours of Tuesday while siphoning crude oil into the vessel from Afremo A platform, a loading jacket belonging to the Shell Petroleum and Development Company (SPDC) in Forcados River.

    According to him, they had siphoned about 2000 metric tonnes of crude oil from the loading jacket before they were caught.

    “Based on intelligence report, at about 02:50am on April 25, 2017, MT Tecne (registered in Panama), was apprehended by NNS Delta patrol team with 10 crew onboard.

    “They are one Nigerian, two Pakistanis, three Ghanians, one Indonésian, one Béninois and two Ukrainians, the Nigerian among them is the Chief Officer while the Captain is a Pakistani.

    ”This vessel has been around our water, what they do is that they go into the high sea during the day, they come late night and connect to the Jacket and syphon crude oil.

    “We have been trailing them for three days, this is the forth night and the vessel is fully ladened with illegal crude oil and this is what they keep doing,” he said.

    The Commander said that the feat was the outcome of the ongoing “Operation Delta Safe Operation River Sweep Two and Operation Tsare Teku” mandates of the Chief of Naval Staff (CNS).

    He said that the navy would continue to check illegalities in the nation`s maritime domain He advised oil companies owning loading jackets to keep constant watch on their platforms.

    “Most of the oil companies have service boats, so they should make it a point of duty to keep watching these jackets both day and night,” he said.

    Dewu said that the suspects and the vessel would be handed over to the prosecuting agency after investigations.

    One of the suspects, a Nigerian, said he joined the TECNE company in 2016 adding that he was directed by one Mr Victor to load crude oil from the jacket. The captain of the Ship, said he was not aware that their action was illegal.

    “We came to load here, I don’t know it is unofficial, I don’t know it is illegal bunkering, we load at night for three days.This is my first time,” he said.