* Oil pirates steal 100,000 barrels daily Ñ Officials
Vanguard (Lagos, Nigeria) --
The 100,000 figure is considered by at least some in the industry to be more accurate than the 300,000 b/d figure cited earlier this week by Governor Ibori. The higher figure represents $3.5-billion/yr worth of crude oil profits to the government, he said. The criminal gangs are thought to sometimes work hand-in-hand with corrupt security personnel. Although the gangs apparently haven't had any trouble with the law, they do fight amongst themselves. Last month, for example, serious violence erupted for the second time this year between the rival Ijaw and Itsekiri groups who live in the swamps west of the oil city of Warri, leading to two dozen or more deaths. nuclear.com wonders if the pirates would be allowed to be so successful if OPEC counted the stolen crude against Nigeria's export quota of 2 million b/d.