Domestic Refineries Received Over 127 Million Barrels Of Crude In Nine Months -NUPRC
By Sunday Etuka
The Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) has disclosed that domestic refineries received more than 127 million barrels of Nigerian crude oil and condensate between January and September 2026.
Commission Chief Executive, Mrs Oritsemeyiwa Eyesan, disclosed this on Monday while speaking at the OTL Africa Downstream Energy Week 2026 in Lagos.
Speaking on the theme “Secure Energy Shared Prosperity,” NUPRC boss who was represented by 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.
She said the Commission engaged producers and refiners and in 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 the first quarter to the third quarter of 2026 more than 127 million barrels of Nigerian crude went to Nigerian refineries.
Under Section 109 of Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) 2021, NUPRC allocates crude oil to domestic refineries before export.
NUPRC’s Head of Media and Corporate Communications, Eniola Akinkuotu, in a statement quoted the CCE to have said that the NUPRC was also consulting producers, refiners and other stakeholders on the domestic crude swap framework.
Under it, refineries could receive crude from the nearest suitable production or export point instead of moving allocated grade over long distances, which could take an estimated three to four dollars off cost of every barrel.
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.
At the 2026 Licensing Round, she said 40 blocks on offer would be subjected to a transparent evaluation process with published criteria and mandatory disclosure of beneficial ownership.
She added that the Commission was enforcing drill or drop principle to discourage speculative holding of licences, noting that 22 recent awardees were expected to contribute at least 250000 barrels per day within five years.
She reaffirmed the Commission’s commitment to meeting Domestic Gas Delivery Obligation and working with 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.
