For the first time in years, Nigeria’s crude oil output surpassed its OPEC quota as the Nigerian Navy intensified its campaign against crude oil theft and illegal refining under Operation Delta Sentinel.
In the second quarter of 2026, the Navy recovered over 4.698 million litres of stolen crude oil and illegally refined petroleum products.
Director Naval Information, Navy Captain Abiodun Folorunsho said in a statement that the operation intensified intelligence-driven operations between April and June 2026 following the successful conclusion of the first quarter of the operation to consolidate gains and sustain pressure on criminal networks operating within the country’s maritime environment.
The renewed operational tempo, he said, came on the heels of the announcement by the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), that Nigeria’s crude oil production in June 2026 climbed to 1.735 million barrels per day, representing 104 per cent of the country’s OPEC production quota and the highest production level recorded since April 2020.
“It executed more than 580 intelligence-led operations in Rivers, Bayelsa, Delta, Cross River and Lagos States within the period,” Folorunsho said.
“The operations led to the recovery of more than 4.698 million litres of stolen crude oil and illegally refined petroleum products, arrest of over 91 suspects involved in crude oil theft and related crimes, and dismantling of over 48 illegal refining sites,” he revealed.
It also intercepted several vessels linked to crude oil theft and decimated criminal logistics networks supporting economic sabotage.
Recorded breakthroughs included the arrest of motor tankers MKPODU, WESTAF and STELIOS K, allegedly connected to the theft of more than 900 metric tonnes of suspected stolen crude oil.
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The Navy has recovered over 708,000 litres of illegally refined petroleum products and 310,000 litres of stolen crude oil from an illegal refining site in Ndoni, Rivers State.
He said coordinated riverine operations destroyed illegal refining camps, reservoirs, storage facilities, dugout pits, concealed fuel caches, illegal pipeline connections and militant hideouts.
He said that criminal syndicates had tried to reactivate refining sites that had been shut down, but sustained follow-up operations were able to prevent the re-establishment of illegal refining activities and further degraded crude oil theft networks.
“Ongoing operational successes are helping to improve security around critical oil and gas infrastructure, which has helped Nigeria beat its OPEC production quota,” he said.
He reiterated the Navy’s commitment to safeguarding the country’s maritime domain and critical national assets in furtherance of the Federal Government’s target to increase crude oil production to 2.5 million barrels per day by 2027.
He also said that “it would continue intelligence-led operations and strengthen inter-agency collaboration to further dismantle crude oil theft networks in line with the vision of the Chief of the Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Idi Abbas”
