Thefts oil producers suffered heavy losses in billions

[yota691]

GMT 7:21 2017 Friday, January 20 : Last Updated

Study examining the problem and future trends and possible solutions

Thefts oil producers suffered heavy losses in billions

Nihad Ismail

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  Fraud threatens the safety and security of energy

 

 

 

Elaf from London : Prepared Ian Ralba,specialist in international energy center of the Atlantic Council,study of 112 pages, launched Atlantic Council at World Energy Conference, which held last week in Abu Dhabi from banditry and fraud, smuggling and money laundering, corruption and crime all its forms, which threatens safety and security energy and lead to loss large sums money states. 

Fuel is a vital element of man, and everyone wants a discount in the price. There are those who is willing to break the law to get the oil for free, on the other hand, there are thefts organization systematic and widespread, extending from Mexico to Uganda, Mozambique, Nigeria, Benin, Iraq and many other countries. 

It monitors the Middle East knows that the file Daesh sell oil to Damascus complicity is clear. We read on page 66 and 67 of the book about the history of smuggling through the Syrian border, and the complicity of the Syrian regime with the terrorist organization.

The study focused on the aspects of this crime and remember the many examples that included a number of Asian and African countries, and even in South America. And we will shed light on the worst examples, where there is no room to address to all the countries that suffer from oil theft and smuggling, and even the practice of fraud by mixing and mixed with other fluids in order to gain illegal. 

Theft of refined oil and its derivatives do not only occur in the producing countries, but also in non-oil-producing, they are a global problem and the need for international cooperation to deal with the problem and eliminate this phenomenon.

The study does not condemn anyone who resorts to theft. There are desperate poor and in need of cheap fuel and deduct a large, but the problem is thefts that occur on a large and wide-scale and carried out by companies scam gangs organization working in collusion with the security authorities, and even officials in some countries such as Mexico, Nigeria, Mozambique, Uganda and others.

 

Whether talking about a donkey carrying some drums and crosses rugged mountainous borders or carriers are able to mobilize and carry hundreds of thousands of barrels and floats the sea near the coast of West Africa, one goal is to achieve a non-profit project.

European Union

This does not happen only in Africa but also in the European Union, which is one of the most economic and political entities, transparency and integrity in the world. Illegal profit is happening in Europe, because of the differences in prices between different countries, which encourages smuggling from low-price countries to high-price countries, and the best example is the smuggling of independent Southern Ireland to the British Northern Ireland, where prices are very high because of taxes and other factors. 

In Spain, there are clear thefts include the withdrawal of the oil valves mounted on a pipe or dig a small port in periods of pumping oil through the pipe and tube connecting the port secondary, and the theft of oil and then sell it on the black market. Estimated loss of the European Union from the illicit trade of four billion euros annually.

Mexico

In Mexico, for example, which produces 2.5 million barrels a day and suffering from an epidemic theft settler crimes in the body of the petroleum industry and directly from the national company Pemex pipelines, according to government estimates lose the state the equivalent of $ 1.7 billion a year, where the theft of the equivalent of 23,500 barrels per day, was the involvement of some US companies in the illegal operations purchase and resale of stolen oil, was taking legal action against each other. It also found that officials and staff working in the national company of Mexican oil to benefit financially from those thefts.

B and theft of oil and its derivatives progressive in Africa

Corruption in Nigeria, Uganda, Mozambique and widespread at all levels, which makes the anti-oil thefts extremely difficult. Nigeria and lose 20% of its production activities illegal. It was directed accusations of government failure and weakness due to the granting oil contracts suspicious companies. And even worse, it was awarded the gangs involved in the theft and smuggling contracts to protect oil installations in the Delta region as one who hires a fox to protect the chicken cage. 

In neighboring Benin, 80% of fuel smuggling and derivatives comes from Nigeria. According Chathm House Albraitata estimates, Nigeria lose between 4 to $ 8 billion a year, due to corruption and crimes of theft, which is done with the complicity of officials and employees. This is not to mention the acts of piracy across the seas off the West coast of Africa. Global media for many years had focused attention on piracy in Somalia, adjacent to the sea, ignoring piracy in West Africa.

In Uganda, gangs operate with the connivance of the authorities in the theft and smuggling. But Mozambique is estimated that 54% of oil shipments at the port of Maputo linked Balrashwat all kinds and at all levels of government.

There are acts of smuggling between Syria, Turkey, Iraq and Daesh. Also, Azerbaijan and other countries exposed to the theft of hydrocarbons. 

What is the solution?

The common denominator among most of the countries where thefts occur is collusion between the government and the thief in charge, ie without the complicity of the authorities you can not trade the loot to succeed and flourish element.

There is no quick magic solution applicable. Tighten controls and the use of sophisticated technology to detect any tampering, and this is difficult because of the cooperation between the thief and the guard, ie between the robbery gangs and the security services or rogue companies and the authorities responsible for pumping and the mobilization of carriers and tankers.

To combat this phenomenon, the required global action and cooperation between States to develop regulations and legislation prohibits dealing in stolen goods, while taking security and protection of effective control measures. No one can put his hand in the candy bag if there is strong monitoring and everyone looks.

[ggdog60]

Thanks, Yota!

[SgtFuryUSCZ]

It's like the drug smuggling trade --- on a much grander scale, with richer end "users"....

[ChuckFinley]

Thank you Yota.

[sandfly]

Thanks