Nigeria’s crude oil production exceeded its OPEC quota for the first time in years after the Nigerian Navy intensified its crackdown on crude oil theft and illegal refining under Operation Delta Sentinel.
The Navy recovered more than 4.698 million litres of stolen crude oil and illegally refined petroleum products during the second quarter of 2026.
In a statement, the Director Naval Information, Navy Captain Abiodun Folorunsho, disclosed that following the successful completion of the first quarter of the operation, it intensified intelligence-driven operations between April and June 2026 to consolidate gains and sustain pressure on criminal networks operating within the country’s maritime environment.
According to him, the renewed operational tempo coincided with the announcement by the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) that Nigeria’s crude oil production rose to 1.735 million barrels per day in June 2026, representing 104 per cent of the country’s OPEC production quota and the highest production level recorded since April 2020.
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Folorunsho said, “it conducted more than 580 intelligence-led operations across Rivers, Bayelsa, Delta, Cross River and Lagos States during the period”.
He revealed that “the operations led to the recovery of over 4.698 million litres of stolen crude oil and illegally refined petroleum products, the arrest of more than 91 suspects involved in crude oil theft and related crimes, and the dismantling of over 48 illegal refining sites”.
It also intercepted several vessels linked to crude oil theft and destroyed criminal logistics networks supporting economic sabotage.
Among the breakthroughs recorded were the arrest of the motor tankers MKPODU, WESTAF and STELIOS K, which were allegedly connected to the theft of more than 900 metric tonnes of suspected stolen crude oil.
The Navy also recovered over 708,000 litres of illegally refined petroleum products and 310,000 litres of stolen crude oil from a single illegal refining site in Ndoni, Rivers State.
He noted that coordinated riverine operations destroyed illegal refining camps, reservoirs, storage facilities, dugout pits, concealed fuel caches, illegal pipeline connections and militant hideouts.
He further observed that criminal syndicates had attempted to reactivate previously dismantled refining sites but said sustained follow-up operations successfully prevented the restoration of illegal refining activities and further weakened crude oil theft networks.
According to him, the sustained operational successes have contributed to improved security around critical oil and gas infrastructure, helping Nigeria exceed its OPEC production quota.
He reaffirmed the Navy’s commitment to protecting the nation’s maritime domain and critical national assets while supporting the Federal Government’s target of increasing crude oil production to 2.5 million barrels per day by 2027.
The Navy Spokesperson added 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”.
