NUPRC Targets Faster Oil Production from New Fields

The Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) has mapped fields awarded in the 2025 oil and gas licensing round to existing production facilities to help successful operators begin production sooner and achieve first oil.

The commission also revealed that Nigeria’s crude oil production sometimes reaches 1.9 million barrels per day (bpd), although average output currently stands at around 1.7 million bpd.

NUPRC Chief Executive, Oritsemeyiwa Eyesan, disclosed this at the Nigeria Oil Refining Summit 2026 in Lagos. Deputy Director Boma Atiyegoba represented her at the event.

Eyesan said the commission had taken this step ahead of time to ensure that new operators could identify suitable production facilities before starting operations.

She said NUPRC had concluded the 2025 bid round and mapped the awarded fields to existing facilities. This will help operators identify where to process and evacuate their crude oil once they begin production.

However, operators must negotiate crude-handling agreements with facility owners to transport their crude oil. Eyesan said these agreements would help the commission ensure that the operators achieve first oil.

The initiative supports NUPRC’s broader efforts to increase Nigeria’s crude oil production, which currently averages around 1.7 million bpd.

Eyesan noted that production had reached 1.9 million bpd on some days. She added that the commission was working to raise output beyond its current average.

She explained that although Nigeria’s average production remains at 1.7 million bpd, the country has recorded daily peaks of 1.9 million bpd. Production fluctuates, however, which brings the overall average down.

Eyesan said Nigeria could produce more crude oil and that NUPRC was working to increase output.

The commission is also engaging operators to reopen shut-in wells, which could provide an additional source of crude oil for local refineries.

Eyesan said NUPRC was working closely with operators to bring these wells back into production. Although the commission cannot provide direct funding, it can remove regulatory obstacles and create the conditions operators need to restart production.

She also revealed that NUPRC was developing strategies to produce Nigeria’s heavy oil deposits and had established a team to explore practical approaches. The commission also planned to hold a workshop on the subject.

Eyesan stressed that higher crude oil production would become increasingly important as Nigeria expands its refining capacity. She noted that refineries need a reliable supply of crude oil to operate.

She added that NUPRC understood its responsibility to increase production and ensure that refineries had enough crude oil feedstock.

In July, NUPRC announced that 31 companies had won 37 oil and gas blocks in the 2025 licensing round. The commission estimated that the assets could add about 500 million barrels to Nigeria’s reserves and deliver at least 300,000 bpd of crude oil and condensate production within three years.

A total of 143 companies submitted 200 bids for 37 of the 50 oil and gas blocks offered in the licensing round.

The blocks covered several areas, including 16 in the Niger Delta onshore, 18 in the Niger Delta shallow water, one in the Niger Delta deep offshore, three in the Benin Basin onshore, four in the Anambra Basin onshore, four in the Chad Basin onshore, and four in the Benue Trough.

Of the 50 blocks offered, 37 attracted bids, while companies submitted no bids for the remaining 13. NUPRC said the blocks that attracted interest included assets in frontier basins such as the Benue Trough, Chad Basin, Anambra Basin, and Benin Basin.