 Hidden in the mangrove forest of the 90 delta, are thousands of artisanal oil refineries producing fuels for domestic and international markets. In this video, an owner will explain how a typical refinery works followed by an analysis of the quality of fuels produced compared to official fuels. It highlights a productive trade which creates employment and fuels but it is deemed illegal with severe impacts on environment, health and corruption. This video is part of research into incentives for people to engage with the artisanal oil industry to explore if there's a scope for harnessing this capabilities in alternative sustainable economic activities. It follows a previous video with further discussion on incentives and solutions. The refineries have evolved over time and this one is more advanced than on average but they typically have the same core elements refining, cooling, separation and storage. A marketer makes a delivery of crude oil by pumping it through a wide hose. At this site, it is pumped directly into the refining pots. The refining pots are oven refined or cooked to crude oil. Fire hits it from below, fueled by crude oil. Under high temperature and pressure, vipers are released and rise into a series of pipes where they cool and condense into different fuels. As the camp owner explains. This tank is used as a coolant. There is water that runs through it. There is a pipe connected up. Look at this. So that coolant is constantly on. So there is a pumping machine that takes in the sea water to this pipe. So this pipe is servicing the two cooling systems. So you can see that part of all the pipes are inside. So the process is passed through this pipe and I come to this single match and then it goes from here to the pot. They have the refining tank. Different fuels are released at different temperatures. At first 30 minutes, gas will come out of it. One hour, 30 minutes, there will be flow of PMS. Then after one and a half PMS, you get to kerosene. And that will be it for two hours. Then these will start coming out. The first diesel that we normally got from here is like Russian diesel. That will run for like another one hour, 30 minutes. Then it becomes normal, three and a half hours, two to nine hours of production. A valve enables walkers to extract fuels or let them flow into large storage tanks. So you can see a very little box of one and a half feet by two feet. And I see a valve connected to it. In case of extracting of PMS or DPK, that extraction has to be done through that valve. That is what it's doing right now as I'm talking to you. This refinery has an innovative feature which others do not, the fire control system. It is an important safety feature that evolve to ensure accidents don't take place as they did in the past. So this place is the powerhouse to that place. So this is where the fire is in the middle. This is the generator. It's a funding machine. It comes from outside. Then it goes from this plant to the pot. So you can see how it is made. You can see some stainless pipe under the open. So the pipes that came from the control panel end here, then from here, there's a stainless pipe which is saying that it's pouring the blood. The system gives the workers more control over the fire. So the Russian is minimized from here. Every fire is not properly on, it's from here. And if it is excess, it has to be reduced from here. Because the production has finished, they'll just knock it off on behind. Then the fire comes down automatically. The camp owner collects the waste, unlike at other refineries where it is dumped into the environment. He sells it as low-poor fuel oil, which is used to power factory machinery or as engine oil. So that is the reservoir for the waste left over as LPLO. So this is the valve. Now the valve is locked. But immediately the production is finished. They need to open it in the morning after when the pumps are cold. It is not a waste. Those products are also being supplied to people who need it. They are taking it to factory all over the country for use purposes. Gas is released via a chimney for safety. And you can see a very high port what we use as a vent. So that is where the gas is expelled. That is so that there will be no explosions. While the refineries produce employment and develop skills in communities, they have severe environmental consequences. Toxic oil and intense heat damage surrounding areas. Degrading land, water, mangrove forest and ecosystems. Workers wear protection to minimize king exposure but remain heavily exposed to the fire and smoke, which has severe health consequences. Denying the emissions also exacerbates an air pollution epidemic. Nearby towns and cities where fuels pollute during combustion too. The seasonal oil industry is also deemed illegal and corrupt. Combined sterling crude oil dealing in refined petroleum products on the black market and paying bribes to security agents. Laboratory analysis suggests the low standard of fuel is an offer in the Niger Delta. All fuel samples, artisanal and official, were found to be more viscous than they should be. High viscosity adversely affects performance of engines, increases maintenance costs and creates higher pollutant emissions. Yet, artisanal gasoline samples were generally less viscous than official ones and had lower levels of pollutants such as sulfur. These findings reinforce consumer perceptions that artisanal fuels are better quality, pollute less and are more readily available than official fuels. It also highlights that extremely low quality fuels are being imported into Nigeria and sold to the public. In many cases with pollutant levels far higher than official standards allow. Artisanal oil refineries produce fuels that can be of comparable quality to official supplies. They also develop skills and provide employment for thousands of people across the region. But the refineries are highly damaging and illegal so must be addressed by policymakers. The skills being developed could be channelled into other productive economic areas say refiners, communities and local experts. We understand the damage is causing to the environment we understand the challenges and what have you. They are not also happy over security and harassment as a result of what they are doing. But as it is now, they keep telling us that there is nothing they can do unless some alternative job, sustainable job is valid for them. Investments by the government and private sector could generate diversified and sustainable livelihood options while protecting the environment and providing access to clean energy. Replacing the artisanal oil industry will also reduce pollution in a critical biodiversity hotspot and contribute towards achieving Nigeria's emissions targets. For more discussions on the incentives that make artisanal oil refining persist despite government crackdowns watch our first video in the series.