The Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) has approved 595 well re-entries, 145 new well-drilling operations and 39 Field Development Plans (FDPs) year-to-date in 2026, as Nigeria’s total rig count rises to 100, with 46 currently active.
The approvals, aimed at boosting oil production, attracting investment and strengthening Nigeria’s energy security, were disclosed by the Commission Chief Executive, Mrs Oritsemeyiwa Eyesan, during a presentation at the management session of the 44th Annual International Conference and Exhibition of the Nigerian Association of Petroleum Explorationists (NAPE) in Lagos.
The conference was held under the theme: “Energy Security in an Era of Global Disruption: Positioning Nigeria for Resilience, Competitiveness, and Prosperity.”
Eyesan, who was represented by the Deputy Director, Basinal Administration, NUPRC, Ahmad Abdullahi, explained that the approvals were part of the Commission’s strategy to ensure that regulatory processes support production growth and the availability of energy in the country.
“Year to date, about 39 FDPs have been approved. About 145 new well-drilling approvals granted. Year to date, about 595 well re-entry approvals were granted. That goes to tell that as a commission, we have improved our approval time level, which again reduces costs that is being wasted or for projects to continue to wait for approval.
“From the regulator’s perspective, to ensure that our energy security is not threatened, we must ensure that we approve Field Development Plans and new well-drilling applications to meet our production targets and guarantee energy availability,” Eyesanstated.
The CCE noted that the rising number of approvals reflected improvements in the Commission’s approval processes, which had helped reduce waiting periods and the costs operators incur while projects remain on hold.
The latest figures came as Nigeria produced a daily average of 1,687,710 barrels of crude oil and condensate in October 2026, reaching 101 per cent of the 1.5 million barrels per day oil quota set for it by the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC).
Data from the NUPRC on Wednesday showed that single-day production peaked at 1.79 million barrels during the period, while the lowest daily output for the month stood at 1.60 million barrels per day.
Crude oil production data, excluding condensate, showed that Nigeria had met its assigned OPEC quota for six consecutive months, producing 1.53 million bpd in May, 1.55 million bpd in June, 1.51 million bpd in July, 1.5 million bpd in August, 1.53 million bpd in September and 1.51 million bpd in October.
On a month-on-month basis, however, production dipped by 1.7 per cent, according to a breakdown announced in Abuja in a statement by the NUPRC Head of Media and Corporate Communications, Eniola Akinkuotu.
The NUPRC attributed the stable performance in recent months to enhanced operational stability, supported by improved production uptime and crude evacuation efficiency.
The sustained growth recorded in October, it stressed, reflected the continued commitment of operators and industry stakeholders to improving operational efficiency, maintaining asset integrity and enhancing production reliability across the Nigerian upstream petroleum sector.
A breakdown of daily average crude oil and condensate production by terminals and streams during the review month showed that Forcados Terminal accounted for 318.49kbpd, while Bonny came second with 311.02kbpd.
Qua Iboe Terminal recorded an average production of 173.97kbpd of crude oil and condensate, while Escravos Oil Terminal posted a daily average of 134.67kbpd. Bonga ranked as the fifth-highest producing terminal, recording an average of 106.65kbpd of crude oil and condensate.
The NUPRC also said the approvals were intended to ensure that Field Development Plans and new well-drilling applications were processed to meet production targets and guarantee energy availability.
Emmanuel Addeh and Peter Uzoho
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