The Nigerian government spent about N722.3 billion on subsidy of imported petroleum products in 2018, the latest Nigerian Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI) audit report has revealed.
The amount was deducted from the N2.3 trillion the government realised from sales of domestic crude oil allocation in 2018, the report stated.
The report published on Monday in Abuja showed that about N722.3billion was deducted by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) for cost under–recovery, otherwise known as fuel subsidy on imported petroleum products.
The NEITI report further disclosed that total crude oil lifted for both export and domestic sales in 2018 was 701 million barrels, representing a 1.9 per cent increase over the 688.3 million barrels lifted in 2017.
An analysis of the total lifting in 2018 showed that 255.6 million barrels, or 36 per cent, was lifted by NNPC on behalf of the Federation, while companies lifted 445.5 million barrels, or 64 per cent of the total.
The lifting by NNPC indicates an increase of 5.95 per cent when compared to 241 million barrels lifted in 2017.
A further analysis showed that out of 255.6 million barrels lifted by NNPC in 2018, actual sales were 255.3 million barrels valued at $18.2 billion.
Out of the 255.6 million barrels lifted on behalf of the Federation by NNPC, 107.63 million barrels were recorded as Domestic Crude Allocation (DCA) in 2018.
Out of this figure, 94 million barrels, or 87 per cent of the DCA, were used for Direct Sale Direct Purchase (DSDP), while the balance of 13.58 million barrels, or 13 per cent, was delivered to the refineries.
Ordinarily, 160.2 million barrels (or 445, 000 barrels per day) should have been allocated for domestic consumption, but only 107.63 million barrels, or 67 per cent of the customary allocation for domestic consumption, were allocated in 2018.
The report also showed that about N28.3 billion recorded for crude and product losses and N138.95 billion for pipeline repairs and maintenance cost.
Further details from the report revealed that in 2018, “total crude oil losses due to theft and sabotage was 53.28million barrels, an increase of 46.15 per cent, when compared to 16.824million barrels recorded in 2017.
Similarly, the report put total products losses in 2018 due to pipeline breakages at 204,397.07 cubic meters.
Total earnings from the oil and gas sector during the year was about $32.63 billion, a 55 per cent increase from the $20.99 billion realized from the sector in 2017.
NEITI also announced plans to release the 2019 audit report later this year.
A breakdown of the $32.63 billion earned in 2018 showed that company-level financial flows into government coffers were about $16.6 billion, while flows from sales of federation crude oil and gas amounted to $16 billion.
A five-year trend analysis of the earnings from the extractive sector showed a 54.6 per cent drop from $54.6 billion in 2014 to $24.8 billion in 2015.
The earnings further dropped by 31.2 per cent to $17.05 billion in 2016, but increased by 23 per cent to $20.99 billion in 2017.
The NEITI 2018 audit reconciled payments by 71 companies, including the Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG) that met the materiality threshold set for the exercise.
A total of eight government entities were also covered by the audit.
The report disclosed that “out of the $32.63 billion earned from the sector in 2018, about $19.92 billion was transferred [directly] into the Federation Account, while $5.21 billion and $4.04 billion were transferred into the JV Cash Call Account and NNPC designated accounts respectively.”
The NNPC designated accounts are the naira and dollar accounts where domestic crude sales and the federation equity, royalty, petroleum profit tax and in-kind oil sales are paid into respectively before remittance to the Federation Account.
The report further disclosed that “$2.10 billion was transferred into third parties project financing accounts and $1.37 billion were recorded as sub-national transfers.
On production, the total crude oil production in the country within the period under review stood at 701 million barrels, representing a slight increase of 1.5 per cent when compared to 690 million barrels produced in 2017.
Details showed that Joint Ventures (JVs) contributed the highest production of 315 million barrels, followed by Production Sharing Contracts (PSCs) which recorded 270.610 million barrels.
Other funding arrangements like Sole Risk (SR), Marginal Fields (MFs) and Service Contracts (SCs) accounted for 92.2 million barrels, 22 million barrels, and 1.3 million barrels respectively.
“JV companies’ production increased by 3.12 per cent in 2018 compared to 2017, while PSC operators’ production decreased by 10.90 per cent.
Similarly, SR operators’ production increased by 58.72 per cent in 2018 compared to 2017.
Production from the SC decreased by 10.27 per cent, while production from MF operators increased marginally by 1.18 per cent,” the report stated.
