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Crude oil lost to theft and sabotage fell to 5.3 million barrels in 2023, from 101 million in 2016

The volume and value of crude oil that producing companies reported as lost to theft and sabotage each year, from the Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI) oil and gas industry reports, 2009 to 2023.

The Public Interest ·

The Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI) records the crude oil that producing companies report as lost to theft and sabotage between the flow station and the export terminal. NEITI defines theft as the illegal siphoning of crude oil from pipelines or wellheads, and sabotage as the willful destruction of oil facilities. Reported losses peaked at 101.05 million barrels in 2016, the year the 48-inch Forcados export pipeline was bombed and stayed out of use from February to September. They fell to 21.15 million barrels in 2022 and 5.25 million barrels in 2023.

Crude oil lost to theft and sabotage, by yearMillion barrels
0204060801001202009, Million barrels: 69.520092010, Million barrels: 28.320102011, Million barrels: 38.620112012, Million barrels: 51.620122015, Million barrels: 27.120152016, Million barrels: 101.1101.120162017, Million barrels: 36.520172018, Million barrels: 53.320182019, Million barrels: 42.320192020, Million barrels: 39.220202021, Million barrels: 37.620212022, Million barrels: 21.220222023, Million barrels: 5.35.32023 0204060801001202009, Million barrels: 69.52002010, Million barrels: 28.32011, Million barrels: 38.62012012, Million barrels: 51.62015, Million barrels: 27.12012016, Million barrels: 101.11012017, Million barrels: 36.52012018, Million barrels: 53.32019, Million barrels: 42.32012020, Million barrels: 39.22021, Million barrels: 37.62022022, Million barrels: 21.22023, Million barrels: 5.35202

Source: Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI), 2022 and 2023 Oil and Gas Industry Reports, Tables 26 and 29 (2022, 2023) and Figure 4 (2015, 2019, 2021); 2020 report, executive summary (2020); 2018 report, section 2.2.1.2 (2018); 2017 report, Table 2-12 (2016, 2017); NEITI statement of December 2022 (2009 to 2012). Theft and sabotage only, as reported by producing companies (25 in 2017, 29 in 2021); measurement error, production adjustments and deferred production are excluded. 2009 to 2012 come from NEITI's December 2022 statement. 2013 is left out because NEITI's figures for it conflict, as the December 2022 statement gives 78.30 million barrels and the 2022 report charts 2.40 million, and neither could be checked against the 2013 report. 2014 is left out because NEITI's statement gives only a combined 67.29 million barrels for 2014 and 2015, its later reports chart 2014 at 1.00 million barrels, and neither could be confirmed from the 2014 report. For 2020, NEITI's 2021 report gives 39.08 million barrels and the December 2022 statement 53.06 million; the figure in the 2020 report is shown. NEITI's 2022 and 2023 reports, published in September 2024, are the latest NEITI oil and gas reports; a combined figure of 13.5 million barrels for 2023 and 2024, given by NEITI in October 2025, is not shown because no 2024 report setting it out was found.

Source documents: NEITI 2023 Oil and Gas Industry Report; NEITI 2022 Oil and Gas Industry Report; NEITI 2020 report; NEITI 2018 report; NEITI 2017 report; NEITI 2016 report; NEITI statement, December 2022, as reported by ThisDay.

Show the figures
YearMillion barrels
200969.49
201028.31
201138.61
201251.58
201527.12
2016101.05
201736.46
201853.28
201942.25
202039.16
202137.57
202221.15
20235.25
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From 2022, NEITI’s headline figure for crude losses also counts measurement error and production adjustments: 36.69 million barrels in 2022 and 7.68 million barrels in 2023. The chart shows theft and sabotage alone, which NEITI put at 4.01 percent of metered production in 2022 and 0.96 percent in 2023.

NEITI values the lost crude in US dollars at an average price for each year. Among the years shown, the value was highest in 2012, at $5.82 billion, and was $1.63 billion in 2020. NEITI’s 2022 and 2023 reports give volumes only.

Value of crude oil lost to theft and sabotage, by yearUS$ billion, at the average price of each year
03582009, US$ billion: 4.34.320092010, US$ billion: 2.32.320102011, US$ billion: 4.44.420112012, US$ billion: 5.85.820122015, US$ billion: 1.41.420152016, US$ billion: 4.44.420162017, US$ billion: 2.02.020172018, US$ billion: 3.83.820182019, US$ billion: 2.82.820192020, US$ billion: 1.61.62020 03582009, US$ billion: 4.342010, US$ billion: 2.3220102011, US$ billion: 4.442012, US$ billion: 5.8620122015, US$ billion: 1.412016, US$ billion: 4.4420162017, US$ billion: 2.022018, US$ billion: 3.8420182019, US$ billion: 2.832020, US$ billion: 1.622020

Source: Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI) statement of December 2022 (2009 to 2012, 2016, 2017 and 2019); NEITI 2018 report, section 2.2.1.2 (2018); NEITI 2020 report, executive summary (2020); NEITI 2015 report, as reported by BusinessDay and Sweetcrude (2015). Values are in US dollars of each year, not adjusted for inflation. 2013 and 2014 are left out for the reasons given under the first chart. The 2015 value was reported only as about $1.4 billion. Values for 2021 to 2023 could not be confirmed.

Source documents: NEITI statement, December 2022, as reported by ThisDay; NEITI 2018 report; NEITI 2020 report; BusinessDay on the NEITI 2015 report.

Show the figures
YearUS$ billion
20094.31
20102.29
20114.39
20125.82
20151.40
20164.42
20171.99
20183.84
20192.77
20201.63
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In December 2022, NEITI put the total for 2009 to 2020 at 619.7 million barrels, worth $46.16 billion (₦16.25 trillion). That total uses 53.06 million barrels for 2020 rather than the 39.16 million barrels in the 2020 report.

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