Nigeria maintained its crude oil production above its Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, OPEC, quota for the fifth consecutive month in September, averaging 1.53 million barrels per day, bpd, as daily output peaked at 1.84 million barrels.
Data from the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission, NUPRC, showed that the country’s September average crude oil production, excluding condensates, exceeded its OPEC quota of 1.5 million bpd by two per cent, sustaining its compliance streak since May.
A statement by NUPRC’s Head of Media and Corporate Communications, Eniola Akinkuotu, said the figures emphasize the relative stability in Nigeria’s upstream petroleum operations, supported by improved production uptime and the absence of major pipeline outages during the month.
The statement said Nigeria’s crude oil production, excluding condensates, averaged 1.53 million bpd in May, rose to 1.55 million bpd in June, and stood at 1.51 million bpd in July. Output reached the 1.5 million bpd quota in August before rising to 1.53 million bpd in September.
The NUPRC data also showed that the country’s daily production peaked at 1.84 million barrels during September, while the lowest daily output recorded was 1.68 million barrels.
The sustained performance was attributed primarily to stable operations across most producing assets and the absence of major pipeline disruptions, which improved operational efficiency and the evacuation of crude oil.
According to the commission, the improved production performance reflects the continued efforts of operators and industry stakeholders to strengthen operational efficiency, maintain asset integrity and enhance production reliability across Nigeria’s upstream petroleum sector.
A breakdown of daily average crude oil and condensate production by terminal and stream showed that Forcados Terminal recorded the highest output, averaging 320.32 thousand barrels per day during the review period.
Bonny Terminal followed with an average production of 303.27 thousand barrels per day.
Nigeria’s ability to sustain crude oil production at or above its OPEC allocation remains significant for government revenue and foreign exchange earnings, given the importance of petroleum exports to the country’s economy.
