NUPRC Says Domestic Refineries Received 127 Million Barrels Of Crude In Nine Months

In the same vein, the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority, (NMDPRA) has signed and unveiled Revision II of the Nigerian Gas Transportation Network Code (NGTNC), aimed at expanding gas supply access to power, fertiliser plants, shippers and investors.

The NURPC Chief Executive, Mrs. Oritsemeyiwa Eyesan, who spoke yesterday in her speech at the OTL Africa Downstream Energy Week 2026 in Lagos, restated that the commission was also consulting producers, refiners and other stakeholders on a domestic crude swap framework.

Speaking on the theme: ‘’Secure Energy, Shared Prosperity’’, the NUPRC boss, who was represented by the Assistant Director, Operations, Mr. Prosper Omonedo, said the commission’s intervention had improved crude oil deliveries after commercial disagreements between producers and refiners affected supplies in the first quarter.

“We engaged producers and refiners, and in the second and third quarters, 53.7 and 45.1 million barrels of crude oil and condensate were supplied to domestic refineries, an overall performance of 97.4 and 76.2 per cent, respectively. 

“From Q1–Q3 of 2026, more than 127 million barrels of Nigerian crude went to Nigerian refineries,” she said. Under Section 109 of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) 2021, the NUPRC allocates crude oil to domestic refineries before export.

The NUPRC chief executive said the NUPRC was also consulting producers, refiners and other stakeholders on a domestic crude swap framework.

“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,” he added.

On production, Eyesan said Nigeria recorded an average of 1.717 million barrels per day of crude oil and condensate in September, 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 quota.

She attributed the improvement to better asset integrity, enhanced security of evacuation infrastructure, stronger collaboration with operators and sustained regulatory efforts to restore shut-in production.

On the 2026 Licensing Round, she said the 40 blocks on offer would be subjected to a transparent evaluation process, with published criteria and mandatory disclosure of beneficial ownership. 

The NUPRC boss added that the commission was enforcing the drill-or-drop principle to discourage speculative holding of licences, noting that 22 recent awardees were expected to contribute at least 250,000 barrels per day within five years.

She reaffirmed the commission’s commitment to meeting the Domestic Gas Delivery Obligation and working with the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) to align refinery demand with crude supply planning, ensuring that upstream gains translate into tangible benefits for households, industries and power generation.

At the event, the federal government said that it was pursuing a more rigorous, commercially sustainable approach to rehabilitate and reposition the four national refineries in Port Harcourt, Warri and Kaduna to prevent them from becoming stranded assets.

Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Petroleum Resources, Mrs Patience Oyekunle, in her remarks, said the government remained committed to ensuring existing national refining assets run by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC) were not lost, supported by technical assessment, stronger partnerships and improved operational discipline.

“At the same time, the government remains committed to ensuring that existing national refining assets are not allowed to become stranded investments. We are pursuing a more rigorous, commercially sustainable approach to the rehabilitation and repositioning of our refineries, supported by technical assessment, stronger partnerships and improved operational discipline,” she said.

She said the 20th anniversary of OTL was a testament to resilience and relevance, commending the platform for bringing government, investors, operators and regulators together. 

The government noted that Nigeria is transforming from import dependence to domestic refining, private investment and regional competitiveness under the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA).

“Today, we are beginning to see the results. Nigeria’s crude oil production has been strengthened significantly,” she explained.