By Mary Izuaka

 

Nigeria’s crude oil and condensate output edged up in August 2026, with the country meeting its Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) quota for the fourth consecutive month amid efforts to resolve operational bottlenecks.

Data released by the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) showed Nigeria produced an average of 1,677,777 barrels per day of crude oil and condensate in August. The commission said this represents a 0.4 per cent increase from July’s output.

In strict crude oil terms, excluding condensate, production averaged 1,500,190 barrels per day.

The modest rise was driven largely by the restoration of operations at the Erha field, according to the NUPRC. The regulator attributed the improvement to resolving Single Buoy Mooring (SBM) challenges at the asset, which had weighed on output in the preceding month.

“The restoration of normal evacuation and production operations at the asset contributed positively to overall production volumes during the period under review,” the NUPRC stated.

Terminal performance

A breakdown of daily average production by terminals and streams showed Bonny Terminal led with 320.04 kbpd, followed closely by Forcados Terminal at 317.40 kbpd.

Qua Iboe Terminal recorded an average production of 171.72kbpd of crude oil and condensates, while Escravos Oil Terminal posted a daily average of 131.71kbpd.

Bonga ranked as the fifth-highest-producing terminal, recording an average of 92.50kbpd of crude oil.

Production across the month fluctuated between a low of 1.64 million barrels per day and a high of 1.71 million barrels per day of crude oil and condensate.

Industry efforts

The NUPRC noted that production activities across most other assets remained relatively stable in August.

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Operators, it said, sustained measures aimed at optimising efficiency, maintaining asset integrity, and minimising disruptions.

“Routine production and crude evacuation operations were generally sustained across the industry, supporting the observed improvement in output,” the commission added.

While the 0.4 per cent increase was modest, the NUPRC said it reflects ongoing industry efforts to address operational bottlenecks and restore affected production capacity.

Stakeholders, the regulator noted, remain focused on enhancing asset reliability, improving operational resilience, and advancing intervention programmes to support sustained production growth in the coming months.

“The August performance highlights the importance of timely resolution of operational constraints, effective asset management practices, and continued collaboration among industry stakeholders in safeguarding and improving Nigeria’s crude oil production capacity,” the NUPRC said.