Nigerian oil theft: Breakthrough or false dawn?
Progress on fixing Nigeria’s long-term oil pipeline theft problem needs to be supported by a wider strategy to avoid relapse
The issue of theft from Nigeria’s oil pipelines has largely been resolved, state-owned Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) said in August, with pipeline and terminal receipts attaining close to 100%. Figures from the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), the body with regulatory responsibility for oil pipeline theft, show that daily losses to theft stood at 9,600b/d in July, the lowest since 2009. That compares with a daily average of 102,900b/d in 2021. Strengthened regulatory oversight is part of the reason. The NNPC was both regulator and commercial operator until 2021, when the Petroleum Industry Act handed regulatory authority for pipeline theft to the NU
Also in this section
6 February 2026
The long close relationship between key supplier Qatar and pivotal buyer Japan becomes even deeper following new landmark deal
6 February 2026
Partnerships across the LNG value chain have evolved over time, growing in both complexity and importance, according to panellists at LNG2026
6 February 2026
Nigeria's mega-refinery is still trying to solve many challenges, all while its owner talks up expansion
5 February 2026
While broadly supportive of EU efforts to tackle methane emissions, representatives of the gas industry warn it could deter supply contracting if timelines and compliance requirements are not made more pragmatic






