New crude streams produce 12m barrels in five months

Two new crude grades introduced into Nigeria’s oil export basket have collectively produced over 12 million barrels between January and May 2026, providing a modest but meaningful boost to the country’s output.

Data from the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission, showed that the Utapate crude grade generated 8.75 million barrels during the period, while the newly introduced Cawthorne blend contributed 3.41 million barrels, bringing the combined total to approximately 12.16 million barrels.

Despite the output gains, Utapate has yet to meet its 80,000 barrels-per-day production target. The field averaged between 55,190 and 59,290 bpd across the five months, leaving a daily shortfall of more than 20,000 barrels throughout the period.

The Utapate field, which commenced production in May 2024 from Oil Mining Lease 13 in Akwa Ibom State, was projected to hit 80,000 bpd by end of 2025. At its July 2024 launch, the Managing Director of NNPC E&P Limited, Nicholas Foucart, said the company was on course. “We have several ongoing projects to increase our production from the current 40,000 bopd to 50,000 bopd by January 2025, and 60,000 bopd to 65,000 bopd by June 2025. Essentially, we are targeting opportunities to increase production to 80,000 bopd by the end of 2025,” he said.

Cawthorne, the newer of the two grades, showed a sharper growth trajectory, with daily output climbing from 12,340 barrels in January to a peak of 30,970 barrels in April before easing slightly to 28,940 barrels in May.

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NNPC Ltd’s Chief Corporate Communications Officer, Andy Odeh, confirmed the commencement of Cawthorne exports, saying the maiden cargo of 950,000 barrels was shipped to the Netherlands aboard the MT Eburones vessel. “Cawthorne blend crude, the latest addition to Nigeria’s basket of crude grades, has an API gravity of 36.4, placing it firmly within the light, sweet category, comparable to Bonny Light, and highly valued in the global market for its superior petrol and diesel yields,” he stated.

Separately, NUPRC data released Thursday showed that Nigeria’s total crude production rose to an average of 1.53 million bpd in May 2026, exceeding its OPEC quota of 1.5 million bpd for the first time in 15 months.