Google Earth satellite images showing the destruction of mangrove vegetation and pollution of water bodies between 2015 and 2022.
Nigeria is grappling with large-scale theft of crude oil from its extensive network of pipelines in the Niger Delta. This industrial-scale theft fuels a dangerous and illegal practice of artisanal refining, which is wreaking havoc on the environment.
Google Earth satellite images analysed by the Documenting Violence and Environmental Destruction (DVED) project offer a stark look into this issue, revealing over 30 sites in a specific study area where this illegal activity is rampant.
The images showed the expansion of the artisanal operations over the past years, as well as the corresponding oil spills and destruction of the mangrove vegetation in the area.
The Problem
Pipeline sabotage has significantly reduced the volume of crude oil available for export, severely impacting government revenue and foreign exchange earnings. The Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI) estimates that between 2009 and 2020, the country lost 619.7 million barrels of oil, valued at N16.25 trillion ($46.16 billion), to theft.
In response, the government has intensified security operations to combat this menace and increase the exploitation of the country’s estimated 36.97 billion barrels of oil reserves. In the first quarter of 2024 alone, the military recovered 21,573,310 liters of stolen crude, worth over N20 billion, and dismantled numerous illegal refining sites.
Google Earth Satellite image shows a boat navigating through a river covered in greasy oil. In 2016, the river appeared unpolluted.
The Growing Ecological Disaster
The process of stealing and refining crude oil in makeshift ovens and dug-out pits is destroying the mangrove forests in the Niger Delta. Oil spills blanket swamps, soil, and river bodies, devastating the ecosystem. Moreover, artisanal refineries are prone to catastrophic accidents, such as the one in October 2023 in Rivers State, where at least 37 people died in a fire.
The incomplete combustion of crude oil in these refineries releases carbon particles into the atmosphere, contributing to the region’s soot crisis. This has led to deteriorating air quality and severe public health concerns.
Security forces’ actions, including burning and destroying illegal refining facilities, boats and storage, have also contributed to environmental pollution. Additionally, the operations of oil companies have caused oil spills and gas flaring, further degrading the environment and harming local communities. These issues have prompted campaigns by locals and activists demanding remediation and compensation.
For instance, in 2022, Shell revealed $15.9 million compensation to the communities of Oruma, Goi, and Ikot Ada Udo, which were affected by four oil spills between 2004 and 2007. This compensation followed a judgment by a Dutch court, initiated in 2008 by four farmers and the environmental group Friends of the Earth, seeking reparations for land contamination and environmental degradation.
Google Earth satellite images showing the destruction of mangrove vegetation and pollution of water bodies between 2015 and 2022.
Mapping the ecological disaster associated with oil pipeline sabotage and illegal refineries
