More than 30,000 liters of diesel may have been taken from
the pipeline running from Esso's Fawley Refinery, the Daily Echo
reported. That would be worth about 41,000 pounds ($70,000) at
pump prices.
Oil theft from pipelines is relatively rare in Britain but a
major problem in some parts of the world, such as Nigeria where
it is estimated to cost the government up to $1 billion per
month.
Police were guarding the spot in West Wellow, Hampshire,
southern England, where the thieves are thought to have tapped
into the 14-inch pipeline, the paper reported. The fuel is being
stored safely and engineers from the refinery are working to
retrieve it, it said, citing police.
The pipeline, known as the Midline Pipeline and owned by Esso,
is one of the UK's main underground pipelines that supply fuel
including gas, diesel, gasoline and jet fuel.
A similar incident took place recently in Gloucestershire, the
newspaper reported.
Esso, a UK unit of Exxon Mobil, did not comment on the Hampshire
theft and referred enquiries to the police, the newspaper
reported.
(Reporting by Alex Lawler. editing by Jane Merriman)
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