Nigeria’s crude oil output averaged 1.51 million barrels per day (bpd) in October as OPEC’s biggest African producer pumped to its quota for the sixth consecutive month, data from the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) showed this week.
Nigeria last month pumped a total of 1.688 million barrels of crude oil and condensate per day, according to the data from its upstream regulator. Excluding condensate production, which is not part of the OPEC+ production quotas, Nigeria’s crude oil production alone averaged 1.51 million bpd, or 101% of the 1.5 million bpd ceiling set by the OPEC+ deals.
Nigeria’s stable crude oil output in recent months was due to enhanced operational stability, improved production uptime, and efficient crude flows, the NUPRC said.
Nigeria’s crude oil output jumped to a 15-month high in May, when production averaged 1.53 million bpd, the highest level since January 2025, as the African country started producing oil at its ceiling per the OPEC+ group’s agreements, after years of failing to do so due to sabotage, oil theft, and oil spills.
In the early weeks of the Iran war, Nigeria was actively increasing its crude oil production in response to major global supply disruptions caused by the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, with authorities aiming to raise output by 100,000 barrels bpd in the immediate term to capture widening supply gaps.
Nigeria has struggled to pump to its OPEC+ quota in recent years as sabotage often led to force majeure at major export streams.
However, with a recent crackdown on oil theft and sabotage in the Niger Delta, Nigeria has managed to increase crude production and aims for further growth by 2030.
Nigeria aims to increase national crude oil production to 2 million bpd by 2027, according to NNPC executive vice president Udy Ntia.
By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com
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