Nigeria Oil Production Hits 11-Month High of 1.7 Million BPD

Nigeria's combined crude oil and condensate production reached an 11-month high of 1.7 million barrels per day (bpd) in May 2026. According to the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission, crude oil output specifically averaged 1.53 million bpd, surpassing the country's OPEC quota of 1.5 million bpd. This growth is attributed to stable industry operations and the completion of scheduled turnaround maintenance.

Heineken Lokpobiri, Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Oil), announced at a ministerial retreat in Abuja that oil production has increased by approximately 80 percent since May 2023, rising from 1 million bpd to roughly 1.8 million bpd. Lokpobiri credited federal reforms for this growth and noted that external reserves have topped $50 billion for the first time in 17 years. He called for new seismic studies and a clear framework to explore all basins to expand hydrocarbon reserves, which have remained stagnant for two decades.

To protect these gains, the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited and security agencies are combating pipeline theft. Recent joint inspections in the Kwali Area Council led to the arrest of suspected vandals. Officials stated that these arrests target larger criminal networks and sponsors of infrastructure sabotage. The production surge is intended to increase government revenues and reduce the import dependency of the Dangote Petroleum Refinery.