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Claim: Several social media accounts on TikTok, Facebook, and YouTube claim that Burkina Faso has overtaken Saudi Arabia in oil production in 2025.
Verdict: False! Burkina Faso has not overtaken Saudi Arabia in oil production. The country has no proven natural oil reserves or production capacity to support such a statement.
Full Text
On June 4, 2025, several social media accounts across platforms, including Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok, began sharing information that Burkina Faso had overtaken Saudi Arabia, a well-known oil-rich country, to become the leader in oil production.
The statement was accompanied by a video showing earth-moving machines, claiming that Burkina Faso’s military leader obtained them from the Chinese and Russians to mine oil.
The TikTok video, which garnered 36.2k likes, 2,233 comments, and 3,767 bookmarks, included a narration stating that President Ibrahim Traoré declared he would not sell the oil to Western countries but would limit sales to fellow African nations.
It further claimed that the President announced plans to use the oil proceeds to build hospitals, roads, and other amenities to improve citizens’ standard of living.
The video alleged that Burkina Faso drilled $1.1 billion worth of crude oil, surpassing Saudi Arabia, which produces nearly 9 million barrels per day of crude as of February 2025.
However, this is not the first time such claims have surfaced. On Jan. 10, 2024, a video shared on X by @AfricanHub_ showed sludge near an excavating machine digging a pit, with the caption: “Burkina Faso has discovered oil. Is this the reason France wanted to have control of the country still?” This claim was later debunked by Reuters and France24, identifying the footage as unrelated to oil.
Similarly, about a month ago, unverified information circulated online claiming that Russia’s state oil giant, Gazprom, had discovered 50 billion barrels of crude oil in Burkina Faso; however, no credible sources supported this claim.
The latest claim, posted on Facebook by users Azogu Ben and Barakallahu Feek, asserted that Burkina Faso’s natural oil reserves have enabled the country to overtake Saudi Arabia in oil production. This generated significant engagement, particularly from users who believed the accompanying video.
Additionally, the same information was shared on X by @haroon_natamam, who wrote in Arabic on June 4, 2025:
“Miracles demand sincerity. Gold, diamond mines, and now oil have been discovered in Burkina Faso. More than Saudi Arabia. A billion dollars a day. 36-year-old Ibrahim Tharoor lives the life of a common man and earns a few hundred dollars a month. Our boastful trillionaire rulers and their flatterers.” The post garnered 22.6k views, 360 retweets, 1.3k likes, and 20 comments.
Some user reactions included:
- @stone: “Congratulations to the Burkina Faso people and may God bless their military head of state.”
- @khadar: “I’m Kenyan, but if I get the chance to move to Burkina Faso, I would.”
- @cd13vtgpforlifemy t5kombi: “South Africa may buy cheaper oil from Burkina instead of OPEC.”
- @NISSI: “America is coming.”
Verification
According to worldometers.info, which provides real-time statistics on global crude oil reserves sourced from reputable organisations like the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) and British Petroleum, Burkina Faso has zero proven oil reserves.
Also, the video supporting the post appears to be AI-generated, likely created using a platform like Invideo AI. The footage lacks authenticity, featuring repetitive sequences and unnatural human figures that exhibit no realistic interaction, which are common traits of AI-generated content.
Additionally, there is no record of President Ibrahim Traoré speaking or granting an interview about Burkina Faso’s natural oil reserves and how he plans to utilize them to develop the country.
Meanwhile, the International Trade Administration also confirms that Burkina Faso does not produce oil and relies entirely on imported fuel to power machinery, transportation, and energy generation.
Furthermore, Russia’s state oil giant, Gazprom, has made no official statement on its website or through credible global news platforms about discovering oil in Burkina Faso.
Finally, no reputable media outlet has reported that Burkina Faso has discovered oil or overtaken Saudi Arabia in production. Such a significant development would have garnered widespread international coverage, especially given Burkina Faso’s recent prominence in global discussions.
Conclusion
The claim that Burkina Faso has overtaken Saudi Arabia in oil production is false. The country has no proven oil reserves, does not produce oil, and relies on imports for its petroleum needs. The viral video supporting the claim is AI-generated and lacks credibility.
