Oil theft is on the rise in the heart of U.S. shale country—and it's mostly carried out in targeted, organized heists | Fortune
West Texas Intermediate crude has surged 60% this year, and fuel prices have climbed even higher as global refining capacity declined due to the Russia-Ukraine and Mideast wars. As market values rise, the energy sector is seeing a rise in theft. The Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas now includes questions about this trend in its quarterly surveys to monitor the impact on the industry.
Permian Basin Impacted by Theft
The latest Dallas Fed survey shows that nearly half of the firms focused on the Permian Basin reported that theft has affected their oil field operations. This region, which spans southeastern New Mexico and West Texas, is the center of the shale revolution that turned the United States into an energy superpower. The area is filled with pipelines, drilling rigs, and trucks, making
Source: fortune.com · 2026-10-11