Government Officials Facilitated $1.2bn Crude Oil, Gas Theft

Security sources have disclosed that the real looting of Nigeria’s crude oil and its by-products is neither through illegal bunkering, refining nor pipeline vandalism, but via highly placed government officials-enabled undocumented shipments of large scale hydro-carbon products worth over $1.2 billion to Europe and the Americas.

The sources noted that while all eyes are on the fight against illegal oil bunkering and pipeline vandalism, top government officials of agencies expected to perform supervisory and due diligence roles in the sale and shipment’s of the nation’s vast hydrocarbon resources are trading away the resources to cartels and reaping the benefits into private pockets.

The sources said Europe and the Americas were favourite destinations because the products, which are sold at giveaway prices, are paid for without delay.

Noting that the looting of the nation’s commonwealth has been going on for years, the sources said that the Liquefied Petroleum Gas and Liquefied Natural Gas were being shipped out of the country in millions of metric tonnes without records and documentation.

Some of the destination countries where these hydro-carbons are shipped to with the knowledge and protection of top government officials, according to the sources, include Mexico, Brazil, United States and Argentina.

Incidentally, the source said, the NLNG whose duty it is to supervise the operations of such shipments, is a joint venture organisation of Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation with 49% shareholding; Shell Gas B.V., 25.6%; Total Energies Gaz & Electricité Holdings, 15%, and Eni International N.A. N.V. S.àr.l with 10.4%.

Emphasizing that the illegal exportation is still ongoing with the backing of top officials of government, the source said gave a breakdown of some of the under-the-table transactions, mentioning specific vessels’ names and their IMO numbers.

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Escobar Port, Bahia and Blanca Port are the usual destinations of the products in Argentina.

“The total value of the products shipped to Argentina in 2013 by three vessels was $52.1 million. 354,018 metric tonnes of hydrocarbon products estimated at over $177 million were illegally exported to Brazil without trace and documentation.”

The transaction to cartels in Brazil showed that “one of the vessels shipped 62,608 metric tonnes of hydrocarbon products valued at $31.3 million; another shipped 60,000 metric tonnes of product valued at $30 million; while a third shipped 55,000 metric tonnes of hydrocarbon products valued at $27.5 million.

“Two other vessels shipped over 120,000 metric tonnes worth more than $60 million Brazil ports.

“A total of 354,018 metric tonnes of hydrocarbon products valued at $177 million was shipped to Brazil.

“Over $34 million worth of hydrocarbon products were illegally exported to the USA in six trips using six different vessels for transportation.”

Native Reporters

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