The Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR), international oil companies (IOCs), security agencies, community leaders and other stakeholders yesterday warned that oil theft was retarding the national economy and fuelling environmental pollution in the resource-rich Niger Delta region. They said the multinationals and indigenous operators had adversely been affected one way or the other by the activities of the oil thieves with Nigeria losing $2.8 billion to the illicit business in 2017 alone. During a stakeholders’ engagement seminar on the menace, organised by the New Nigeria Foundation (NNF) in Warri, DPR’s representative, Mr. Efe Ogbeni, pointed out that a bulk of the challenges faced by oil firms, including oil spills, environmental degradation, shutdowns and loss of revenues and man-hours, were caused by third party interference on installations. It was disclosed that the April 18, 2019 oil well fire at the Ojumole Well No. 1 of Chevron Nigeria Limited, an idle […]