Nigeria’s crude oil production remained above its Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) quota for the fifth month running in September, as average daily output of crude oil and condensate climbed by 2.34 per cent to 1.717 million barrels.
Figures released by the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission showed that combined crude oil and condensate production reached a daily high of 1.84 million barrels during the month, while the lowest daily output was 1.68 million barrels.
However, cruder oil production alone averaged 1.53 million barrels per day, excluding condensates, according to a statement issued on Tuesday by the NUPRC Head of Media and Corporate Communications, Eniola Akinkuotu.
The commission said the September figures represented 102 per cent of Nigeria’s OPEC production allocation of 1.5 million barrels per day, exceeding the benchmark by 30,000 barrels daily.
The latest performance extends the country’s consecutive run of meeting or surpassing its crude oil production quota, with average daily output standing at 1.53 million barrels in May, 1.55 million in June, 1.51 million in July and 1.5 million in August.
In its statement, the regulator said, “Nigeria Meets OPEC Quota for 5th Consecutive Month as Daily Peak Hits1.84m Barrels in September.
Data from the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission also shows that single day production hit a peak of 1.84m barrels in the month as Nigeria consolidated its position as Africa’s largest crude oil producer.”
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The sustained production levels come amid longstanding difficulties in Nigeria’s oil industry, including crude oil theft, pipeline vandalism, operational interruptions and challenges associated with evacuating crude from production sites.
According to the commission, improved output in September was largely supported by steady operations across most producing assets and the absence of major pipeline outages.
It explained that the stability helped operators maintain production for longer periods and improve the efficiency of crude oil evacuation.
“The improved performance was primarily driven by stable production operations across most producing assets and the absence of any major pipeline outages during the period under review. This enhanced operational stability supported improved production uptime and crude evacuation efficiency,” the commission said.
The regulator also credited the continued progress to efforts by oil operators and other stakeholders to strengthen operational performance, protect production infrastructure and ensure more reliable output across the upstream petroleum industry.
“The sustained growth recorded in September reflects the continued commitment of operators and industry stakeholders towards improving operational efficiency, maintaining asset integrity, and enhancing production reliability across the Nigerian upstream petroleum sector,” the statement added.
A breakdown of production across terminals and streams showed that Forcados Terminal recorded the highest average daily output among the listed facilities, contributing 320,320 barrels in September.
Bonny Terminal ranked second, with an average production of 303,270 barrels per day.