September 6, 2026 | ENS NEWS
The Nigerian Navy has recorded another development in its campaign against crude oil theft after personnel uncovered a large dugout reservoir containing approximately 10,000 litres of a substance suspected to be stolen crude oil in Delta State.
The discovery was made on September 2, 2026, by personnel of the Nigerian Navy Ship NNS DELTA during an anti-crude oil theft operation in the Oteghele general area of Delta State.
Intelligence Leads Navy to Suspected Illegal Facility
According to information released by the Navy, the operation followed credible intelligence concerning suspected illegal petroleum activities in the area.
Naval personnel subsequently located a large dugout reservoir containing what authorities believe was illegally obtained crude oil. The volume was estimated at approximately 10,000 litres.
Director of Naval Information Navy Captain Abiodun Folorunsho said personnel from NNS DELTA carried out the operation within their area of responsibility.
The Navy said the reservoir and its contents were handled according to established operational procedures, preventing the suspected crude from being diverted or used for further illegal activities.
Navy Intensifies Fight Against Oil Theft
The discovery comes amid continued security operations targeting crude oil theft, illegal refining and associated activities across Nigeria’s oil-producing region.
Only days earlier, the Navy announced that separate operations involving NNS SOROH and NNS DELTA had uncovered three suspected illegal refining sites, six reservoirs and approximately 99,000 litres of products suspected to include stolen crude oil and illegally refined Automotive Gas Oil across Rivers and Delta states. Those operations took place on August 31.
The latest 10,000-litre discovery is a separate operation and demonstrates the continued challenge security agencies face in tackling illegal petroleum activities in the Niger Delta.
Protecting Nigeria’s Oil Resources
Crude oil remains one of Nigeria’s most important natural resources and a major source of government revenue and foreign exchange.
Oil theft and illegal refining can therefore have consequences extending beyond the immediate loss of petroleum products. They can affect government revenue, legitimate oil production and infrastructure while creating environmental and security problems for communities in oil-producing regions.
The Navy says its operations are designed not only to recover suspected stolen petroleum products but also to dismantle the infrastructure that enables illegal operators to store and process them.
Sustained Operations Expected
The Nigerian Navy has indicated that it intends to maintain pressure on networks involved in crude oil theft and other illicit petroleum activities.
The Delta State discovery shows how intelligence-led operations are increasingly being used to locate hidden storage facilities and suspected illegal refining infrastructure.
For Nigeria, successfully reducing crude oil theft could help protect national resources and strengthen the integrity of the country’s oil and gas sector.
The latest operation also highlights the importance of cooperation between communities and security agencies. Information concerning suspicious petroleum activities can assist authorities in locating illegal facilities that might otherwise remain hidden.