The Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) has identified more than 788,000 barrels per day of idle oil production across 63 operators as it steps up efforts to boost Nigeria’s crude oil output.
The Commission Chief Executive, Oritsemeyiwa Eyesan, disclosed this at a conference organised by the Association of Energy Correspondents of Nigeria in Lagos. She was represented at the event by Patricia Temisan-Olatunde, Assistant Director of Corporate Services and Administration.
The targeted production comes from oil wells that are currently inactive despite their potential to produce crude oil. Such wells may remain shut due to technical difficulties, operational challenges, commercial constraints or other factors.
As part of efforts to increase production, Eyesan said the commission was accelerating approval processes and expanding licensing activities to bring more oil volumes into production.
Between January and September 2026, the regulator recorded the successful re-entry of 77 wells and approved 128 wells for drilling.
The commission is also prioritising the development of major offshore petroleum projects valued at between $30 billion and $50 billion, with the aim of advancing them to final investment decision (FID). Reaching this stage would signal that the projects are ready for investment and development to proceed.
Another focus is improving domestic gas supply. The NUPRC said current deliveries meet about two-thirds of the country’s domestic gas supply obligation, and it is working towards ensuring that the full requirement is met.
The production drive aligns with the Federal Government’s efforts to attract investment into the petroleum industry, including through executive orders introduced by President Bola Tinubu to encourage deepwater oil and gas development.
Nigeria is also expanding opportunities for investors through its oil and gas licensing programme. The 2025 licensing round was projected to contribute about 500 million barrels to the country’s crude oil reserves and at least 300,000 barrels per day of additional crude oil and condensate production within five years, provided the awarded assets are successfully developed.
The government subsequently opened the 2026 licensing round, offering 40 oil and gas blocks across onshore, shallow-water and deepwater areas to local and international investors.
These measures support Nigeria’s ambition to increase crude oil production to three million barrels per day by 2030.
However, achieving the target will depend on operators’ ability to resolve the challenges keeping existing wells inactive, develop newly licensed assets and translate regulatory approvals into actual production.
