The Nigerian Navy says its sustained crackdown on crude oil theft, illegal refining, pipeline vandalism and militancy significantly contributed to Nigeria’s crude oil production rising to 1.735 million barrels per day in June 2026.

According to the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), the output represents 104 per cent of Nigeria’s OPEC production quota and is the country’s highest crude oil production level since April 2020.

In a statement issued in Abuja, the Director of Naval Information, Captain Abiodun Folorunsho, said the Navy intensified Operation DELTA SENTINEL in the second quarter of 2026 to build on gains recorded earlier in the year.

He disclosed that since April 2026, the Navy has carried out more than 580 intelligence-driven operations across Rivers, Bayelsa, Delta, Cross River and Lagos States.

The operations led to the recovery of over 4.7 million litres of stolen crude oil and illegally refined petroleum products, the arrest of more than 91 suspects linked to crude oil theft, pipeline vandalism, militancy and related crimes, the dismantling of over 48 illegal refining sites, the interception of several vessels involved in crude oil theft, and the destruction of criminal logistics networks supporting economic sabotage.

Folorunsho identified the arrest of the motor tankers MKPODU, WESTAF, and STELIOS K as one of the major successes of the operation, noting that the vessels were linked to the theft of more than 900 metric tonnes of suspected stolen crude oil.

He added that security operatives 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.

According to him, intelligence-led operations also dismantled reactivated illegal refining camps, intercepted illicit fuel consignments and prevented criminal syndicates from restoring illegal refining activities across the Niger Delta.

He said coordinated riverine operations resulted in the destruction of numerous illegal refining sites, reservoirs, dugout pits, storage facilities, warehouses, concealed fuel dumps, illegal pipeline connections and militant hideouts.

Folorunsho noted that security forces observed attempts by criminal groups to reactivate previously dismantled refining camps, prompting sustained follow-up operations that disrupted the economic viability of crude oil theft networks.

He stated that the Navy’s operational achievements coincided with the NUPRC’s announcement that Nigeria had exceeded its OPEC production quota, describing the development as evidence of improved security around critical oil and gas infrastructure and the collective efforts of security agencies against crude oil theft.

The naval spokesperson added that the sustained presence of naval personnel across the Niger Delta waterways has restricted the activities of economic saboteurs, disrupted illegal petroleum supply chains and strengthened the protection of vital oil and gas infrastructure.

He reaffirmed the Nigerian Navy’s commitment to safeguarding the nation’s maritime domain, protecting strategic national assets and supporting the Federal Government’s target of increasing crude oil production to 2.5 million barrels per day by 2027 through intelligence-driven operations and stronger inter-agency collaboration, in line with the vision of the Chief of the Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Idi Abbas.