Nigeria recorded 589 oil spills in 2024, with a significant decrease of 49.3% compared to 2023. The oil spills resulted in approximately 3 million liters (19,000 barrels) of crude oil being spilled, which is equivalent to about 95 oil tanker trucks full.
Causes of Oil Spills
- Sabotage and Oil Theft: 471 spills were attributed to sabotage and oil theft, with the highest rate occurring in the first half of 2024.
- Operational Challenges: 100 spills were attributed to operational challenges.
Companies with the Highest Spills
- Nigerian Agip Oil Company (NAOC): 185 spills
- Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria Limited (SPDC): 169 spills
- NNPC E&P Limited (NEPL): 41 spills
- Heirs Energies Limited: 40 spills
- Mobil Producing Nigeria Unlimited (MPN): 27 spills
Efforts to Combat Oil Theft
The Nigeria National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) has been working with security agencies and private security companies to combat oil theft and pipeline sabotage. In 2024, the NNPCL reported the discovery of over 3,000 illegal refineries in the Niger Delta region.
Source: Nairametrics
