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Thieves tap UK pipeline, steal 30,000 litres of fuel-paper

LONDON, April 21 (Reuters) - UK police are hunting a gang of thieves who are thought to have tapped into an underground oil pipeline, stealing thousands of litres of fuel, a newspaper reported on Monday.

More than 30,000 litres of diesel may have been taken from the pipeline running from Esso (Berlin: EH8.BE - news) 's Fawley Refinery, the Daily Echo reported. That would be worth about 41,000 pounds ($70,000) at pump prices.

Oil theft from pipelines is relatively rare in Britain but a major problem in some parts of the world, such as Nigeria where it is estimated to cost the government up to $1 billion per month.

Police were guarding the spot in West Wellow, Hampshire, southern England, where the thieves are thought to have tapped into the 14-inch pipeline, the paper reported. The fuel is being stored safely and engineers from the refinery are working to retrieve it, it said, citing police.

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The pipeline, known as the Midline Pipeline and owned by Esso, is one of the UK's main underground pipelines that supply fuel including gas, diesel, gasoline and jet fuel.

A similar incident took place recently in Gloucestershire, the newspaper reported.

Esso, a UK unit of Exxon Mobil (TLO: XOM-U.TI - news) , did not comment on the Hampshire theft and referred enquiries to the police, the newspaper reported.

(Reporting by Alex Lawler. Editing by Jane Merriman)