Nigeria oil output rises, meets OPEC quota

By Obas Esiedesa, Abuja

In May, Nigeria’s total oil production increased by 2.2 percent, reaching 1.70 million barrels per day (bpd). The rise in crude oil output allowed the country to exceed its OPEC quota for the first time in 2026.

The Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission reported that combined crude oil and condensate production climbed from 1.66 million bpd in April to 1.70 million bpd in May, further cementing Nigeria’s status as Africa’s top oil producer.

Crude oil output averaged 1.53 million bpd in May, just above the OPEC quota of 1.5 million bpd. This marks the first instance in 2026 that Nigeria has met and surpassed its allocated volume.

May’s figures represent the highest combined output since July 2025, when production reached 1.71 million bpd. Crude output alone also hit a 15‑month high.

During the month, production peaked at 1.86 million bpd and fell to a low of 1.51 million bpd on the slowest day.

Over the past five months, production has shown steady month‑on‑month growth: 1.48 million bpd in February, 1.54 million in March, 1.66 million in April, and 1.70 million in May.

The commission attributed the improvement to operational stability across facilities, noting no major pipeline disruptions and the successful completion of scheduled maintenance activities.

Key production streams for the month included Bonny Terminal (293,870 bpd), Forcados Terminal (289,900 bpd), Qua Iboe (173,360 bpd), Escravos Oil Terminal (135,470 bpd), and Odudu (Amenam Blend) (63,250 bpd).

The commission said that enhanced reliability across production infrastructure supported the sustained increase in output.

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