From Adanna Nnamani, Lagos
Domestic refineries received more than 127 million barrels of Nigerian crude oil and condensate between January and September 2026, the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) has said.
The Commission Chief Executive, Oritsemeyiwa Eyesan, disclosed this on Monday at the OTL Africa Downstream Energy Week 2026 in Lagos, attributing the improvement in crude supply to the commission’s interventions following commercial disagreements between producers and refiners in the first quarter.
Eyesan, who was represented by the Assistant Director, Operations, Prosper Omonedo, said 53.7 million barrels of crude oil and condensate were supplied to domestic refineries in the second quarter, while 45.1 million barrels were delivered in the third quarter.
She said the deliveries represented 97.4 per cent and 76.2 per cent performance, respectively, adding that more than 127 million barrels had gone to local refineries in the first nine months of the year.
Under Section 109 of the Petroleum Industry Act 2021, the NUPRC is mandated to allocate crude oil to domestic refineries before export. The commission is also consulting producers, refiners and other stakeholders on a proposed domestic crude swap framework to reduce transportation costs and improve supply efficiency.
“Under it, a refiner could receive crude from the nearest suitable production or export point instead of moving an allocated grade over long distances, which could take an estimated three to four dollars off the cost of every barrel,” Eyesan said.
On oil production, the NUPRC boss said Nigeria recorded an average of 1.717 million barrels per day of crude oil and condensate in September, representing a 2.34 per cent increase over August.
Crude oil production alone averaged 1.53 million barrels per day, marking the fifth consecutive month the industry met or exceeded its production quota.
She attributed the improvement to better asset integrity, improved security of evacuation infrastructure, stronger collaboration with operators and sustained regulatory efforts to restore shut-in production.
On the 2026 licensing round, Eyesan said the 40 oil and gas blocks on offer would undergo a transparent evaluation process, with published criteria and mandatory disclosure of beneficial ownership.
She added that the commission was enforcing the drill-or-drop principle to discourage speculative holding of licences.
According to her, 22 recent awardees are expected to contribute at least 250,000 barrels per day within five years.
Eyesan also reaffirmed the commission’s commitment to meeting the Domestic Gas Delivery Obligation and collaborating with the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) to align refinery demand with crude supply planning.
She said the move was aimed at ensuring that improvements in upstream production translated into tangible benefits for households, industries and power generation.