The FINANCIAL -- Royal Dutch Shell PLC's unit in Nigeria has said a rise in thefts of crude from its new Nembe Creek pipeline is jeopardizing the production and export of oil in Nigeria's Niger Delta.

According to Borsa Italiana - London Stock Exchange Group , currently 140,000 barrels of oil per day is transported along the pipeline that takes most of the Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria Ltd.'s and third party crude oil production in Eastern Swamp operations to the Bonny Terminal in the Niger Delta.

The pipeline was shut in December because of leaks caused by thieves. Since those repairs were completed more than 50 valves have been discovered, Tony Okonedo, SPDC spokesman, said in a statement Monday. In one case, some 17 of these valves were found within a 3.8 kilometer stretch.

Helicopter overflights Monday confirmed thefts of crude is thriving in southern Nigeria's Rivers and Bayelsa states. As well as valves some other connections were made directly to wellheads, the statement said.

More than 75% of all oil spill incidents and more than 70% of all oil spilled from SPDC facilities in the Niger Delta between 2006 and 2010 were caused by sabotage, theft and illegal refining, Okonedo said.

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