An investigation has revealed that there is no illegal attachment to any of the 23 underwater pipelines at the state owned oil refinery, Petrojam.

The revelation was made by Energy Minister, Fayval Williams during a press conference at Petrojam’s Headquarters in Kingston, this morning (Mar 4).

This follows speculation that oil was being stolen from the company. An audit by the Auditor General Department found that some 600,000 barrels of oil were unaccounted for over a five year period.  The lost oil was valued at $5.2 b.

Prime Minister Andrew Holness had requested the investigation. A forensic audit is also being done to determine why there is a high loss of oil.

Mrs. Williams said in a report dated February 22, the JDF Coast Guard indicated that there was no illegal discovery.

Meantime, Head of the Jamaica Defence Force (JDF) Coast Guard, Lieutenant Commander Aceion Prescott said the operation which spanned over 5 days, involved visual and manual inspection of the pipelines.

In the meantime, Mrs. Williams said investigations are being carried out by the Jamaica Constabulary Force to clamp down on illicit petroleum operations.