Oil Output Rises to 1.66mbpd in April – NUPRC

Nigeria’s oil production rebounded in April 2026, averaging 1.663 million barrels per day (bpd) of crude and condensates, according to the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC).

This marks a significant improvement from 1.546mbpd in March, reflecting stronger upstream performance and improved output across major oil assets.

Crude oil alone accounted for 1.488mbpd, bringing Nigeria close to fully meeting its 1.5mbpd OPEC quota. Condensates contributed 174,873bpd, pushing total liquids production up by 7.58% month-on-month.

The report highlighted strong contributions from key export streams: Bonga (3.06m barrels), Erha (2.05m), Anyala-Madu (1.81m), Utapate (1.78m), Egina (1.47m), and Cawthorne crude (929,055 barrels). On the condensate side, Agbami (2.01m), Akpo (1.34m), and Tulja-Okwuibome (304,827 barrels) posted solid figures.

NUPRC noted that production fluctuated between 1.46mbpd and 1.85mbpd during the month, but April’s average was Nigeria’s strongest so far in 2026.

The improvement was linked to enhanced field performance, operational efficiency, restoration of disrupted assets, and the introduction of new export grades such as Cawthorne crude.

Officials said the gains align with government reforms to boost transparency, foreign exchange inflows, and federation revenues. However, challenges remain, as earlier reports showed Nigeria supplied only 28.5m barrels to domestic refineries in Q1 2026, far below the 61.9m barrels allocated.

Despite shortfalls earlier in the year, April’s rebound signals renewed momentum in Nigeria’s oil sector, with regulators optimistic about sustaining growth amid global market pressures.