A series of sabotage attacks have rocked Oando Plc's oil pipelines in the oil-rich Bayelsa state of southern Nigeria over the past week, the Nigerian oil producer announced.

The incidents targeted the critical 18-inch Tepidaba-Brass crude oil pipeline in the Brass local government area and the 24-inch Ogboinbiri/Obiobi gas link in the Southern Ijaw district, according to a statement released late Friday by Oando, which recently acquired Eni's former Nigerian Agip Oil Co unit.

"We have activated our emergency response protocols to minimize the environmental impact and have dispatched specialized leak repair teams to the affected locations," a company spokesperson stated.

Oando is collaborating with relevant authorities to conduct a comprehensive joint investigation to ascertain the full extent and underlying causes of the sabotage. Following the investigation, the company plans to initiate extensive repairs to restore operations swiftly.

Pipeline sabotage and rampant crude theft have long plagued Nigeria's oil industry, prompting major players like Shell, Exxon Mobil, Total, and Eni to divest their onshore and shallow-water assets in favor of deep-water operations, which are considered less vulnerable to such disruptions.