Nigeria Hits 1.68m bpd as Oil Output Rises Slightly

 Nigeria's crude oil and condensate production rose by 0.4 per cent to 1,677,777 barrels per day (bpd) in August 2026, according to the Nigeria Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC).

The commission disclosed this in its crude oil and condensate statistics report released on Sunday, noting that crude oil production alone, excluding condensate, averaged 1,500,190 bpd during the month under review. It added that Nigeria met its Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) crude oil quota for the fourth consecutive month.

According to the report, combined crude oil and condensate production fluctuated between a daily low of 1.64 million barrels and a high of 1.71 million barrels over the course of August.

Bonny, Forcados Lead Terminal Output

The report showed that Bonny Terminal recorded the highest average production for the month at 320.04 thousand barrels per day (kbpd), closely followed by Forcados Terminal at 317.40 kbpd. "Qua Iboe Terminal recorded an average production of 171.72kbpd of crude oil and condensates," the report noted, while Escravos Oil Terminal posted a daily average of 131.71 kbpd. Bonga rounded out the top five producing terminals, with an average output of 92.50 kbpd of crude oil.

Erha Field Recovery Drives Modest Gains

The NUPRC attributed the modest increase in August production largely to the resolution of operational challenges involving the Single Buoy Mooring (SBM) at the Erha field, which had adversely affected production performance in the preceding month. The commission explained that restoring normal evacuation and production operations at the field contributed positively to overall output for August.

"Production activities across most other producing assets remained relatively stable," the report said, adding that operators continued implementing measures to optimise production efficiency, maintain asset integrity, and minimise operational disruptions. The commission noted that routine production and crude evacuation operations were generally sustained across the industry during the period, which it said supported the observed improvement in output.

While describing the August increase as modest, the report emphasised that it reflects ongoing industry efforts to address operational bottlenecks, with stakeholders continuing to work toward restoring affected production capacity and supporting sustained growth in the months ahead.

Focus on Asset Reliability, Resilience

The commission said operators remain focused on improving asset reliability and operational resilience across Nigeria's upstream petroleum sector, adding that intervention programmes are being advanced to strengthen production performance and reduce disruptions going forward.

According to the NUPRC, August's performance underscores the importance of promptly resolving operational constraints, while also highlighting the need for effective asset management and continued collaboration among industry stakeholders — measures it described as critical to safeguarding and improving Nigeria's crude oil production capacity.