Nigeria produced 398,986,780 barrels of crude oil and condensate between January and August 2026, representing about 72 per cent of the 554.4 million barrels recorded for the entire 2025, according to figures from the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC).
The eight-month output puts Nigeria’s average daily production at approximately 1.64 million barrels per day, slightly above the 1.63 million barrels per day average recorded throughout 2025.
Data compiled from NUPRC figures showed that the 2025 production total was itself about five per cent higher than the 2024 figure. Nigeria produced 578,521,740 barrels in 2024, representing an average daily output of 1,580,369 barrels, including condensate.
Production in 2026 has fluctuated throughout the period under review. Output stood at 1,627,460 barrels per day in January before falling to 1,483,940 barrels per day in February.
It subsequently recovered to 1,564,100 barrels per day in March and continued climbing to 1,663,430 barrels per day in April and 1,700,800 barrels per day in May.
June recorded the highest monthly average so far this year at 1,735,398 barrels per day. Production then dropped to 1,670,890 barrels per day in July before edging up to 1,677,770 barrels per day in August.
If the current production pace is maintained during the remaining four months of 2026, Nigeria could exceed its total output for 2025 and potentially record one of its strongest annual production performances in recent years.
The NUPRC has linked the improvement to the resolution of operational challenges at key producing assets. One of the developments highlighted by the commission was the resolution of Single Buoy Mooring challenges at the Erha field.
The regulator also attributed the gains to continued efforts by operators to maintain the integrity of producing assets and improve crude evacuation capacity across the country’s terminals.
Month-by-month trend
The figures show that production did not rise consistently throughout the eight-month period. After January’s 1,627,460 barrels per day, output declined to 1,483,940 barrels per day in February, the lowest monthly average recorded during the period.
Production increased to 1,564,100 barrels per day in March and continued its upward movement in April and May, when daily averages reached 1,663,430 and 1,700,800 barrels respectively.
The upward trend continued into June, when production peaked at 1,735,398 barrels per day. July saw output decline to 1,670,890 barrels per day, while August recorded a marginal recovery to 1,677,770 barrels per day.
Daily swings within the months
NUPRC data also showed variations between the lowest and highest daily production levels recorded within individual months.
In May, combined crude oil and condensate production ranged from 1.51 million barrels per day to 1.86 million barrels per day. The monthly average was 1.70 million barrels per day, made up of 1.53 million barrels of crude oil and 0.17 million barrels of condensate per day.
The average crude oil production for May represented 102 per cent of Nigeria’s OPEC quota of 1.5 million barrels per day.
In July, daily crude oil and condensate production ranged between 1.57 million and 1.78 million barrels per day. The monthly average stood at 1.67 million barrels per day, comprising 1.505 million barrels of crude oil and 0.17 million barrels of condensate.
August recorded a narrower production range, with daily output moving between 1.64 million and 1.71 million barrels per day. The monthly average was approximately 1.68 million barrels per day, comprising 1.50 million barrels of crude oil and 0.18 million barrels of condensate.
OPEC quota compliance
According to the NUPRC, Nigeria achieved its OPEC crude oil production quota of 1.5 million barrels per day, excluding condensate, in each month between May and August.
The commission said average crude oil production in August was equivalent to 100 per cent of Nigeria’s OPEC quota.
It had earlier noted that although the country achieved its quota in July, crude oil production fell by four per cent compared with June, which had recorded the highest production level of the year.
Terminal performance in August
August production figures showed Bonny Terminal as the leading contributor, with an average of 320.04 thousand barrels per day.
Forcados Terminal followed with an average of 317.40 thousand barrels per day, while Qua Iboe Terminal recorded 171.72 thousand barrels per day.
Escravos Oil Terminal produced an average of 131.71 thousand barrels per day, while Bonga ranked fifth with 92.50 thousand barrels per day.
Erha field recovery
The improvement in August followed the resolution of operational problems involving the Single Buoy Mooring at the Erha field, which had affected production in July.
The NUPRC said restoring normal evacuation and production operations at the field contributed positively to the overall output recorded in August.
The commission added that production at most other producing assets remained relatively stable during the month, with operators continuing efforts to improve efficiency, maintain asset integrity and reduce operational disruptions.
Routine production and crude evacuation activities were largely sustained across the industry, helping to support the increase recorded in August.
Although the commission described the month-on-month improvement as modest, it said the result reflected ongoing efforts across the industry to resolve operational bottlenecks and restore affected production capacity.
The NUPRC said stakeholders remained focused on improving asset reliability, strengthening operational resilience and implementing intervention programmes that could support further production growth.
According to the commission, the overall eight-month performance demonstrates the importance of quickly resolving operational constraints, effective management of oil assets and continued cooperation among industry stakeholders in protecting and increasing Nigeria’s crude oil production capacity.
Source: Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC)
