Nigeria exceeds OPEC quota as oil production hits 11-month high

By Emmanuella Anokam

Nigeria’s crude oil production has surged to an 11-month high in May 2026, with the country exceeding its Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) production quota.

The average crude oil production recorded during the month of May represents 102 per cent of Nigeria’s 1.5mbpd of production quota allocated by the OPEC.

The production report released by the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), on Thursday, disclosed that Nigeria’s oil production averages 1,530,354 barrels of crude oil and 170,446 barrels of condensates per day (bpd).

According to the report, this brings the total combined production to 1, 700, 800 barrels per day and consolidating Nigeria’s position as Africa’s largest oil producer.

The report said the production performance during the review period remained robust, with combined crude oil and condensate output ranging between a low of 1.51 million bpd and a peak of 1.86 million bpd.

It said the May 2026 production figures represented the highest recorded by Nigeria since July 2025, when output surged to 1,712,282.

“In strict crude oil terms (excluding condensates), the 1.53 million barrels recorded in May 2026 represents the highest Nigeria has witnessed since January 2025 when crude oil production hit 1.538mbpd.

“The latest crude oil production statistics thus represents a 15-month high on a month-on-month basis, production rose by 2.77 per cent in May 2026 as against 1.48mbpd in April,” it said.

The report said the broader production trend over the last five months had also remained positive.

It said combined crude oil and condensate output increased from 1.48 million bpd in February to 1.54 million bpd in March, 1.66 million bpd in April, and then 1.7 million bpd in May, underscoring sustained growth in Nigeria’s hydrocarbon production levels.

According to the report, among production streams, Bonny Terminal led the pack with a total blend of 293,870 bpd, closely followed by Forcados Terminal at 289,900 bpd, Qua Iboe ranked third with 173,360 bpd, while Escravos Oil Terminal contributed 135,470 bpd.

It said the Odudu (Amenam Blend) completed the top five production streams, accounting for 63,250 bpd during the month under review.

The NUPRC attributes the rise in production to a sustained positive momentum as operations remained stable throughout the reporting period with no significant pipeline or facility outages recorded.

Additionally, all previously scheduled turnaround maintenance activities had been successfully completed, contributing to improved operational reliability and production efficiency.
(NAN)