Low-sulphur crude production rose by 320% in nine months – Report

The Federal Government, through the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, has achieved a 319.88 per cent increase in the production of Utapate Nigeria’s newly introduced low-sulphur crude oil grade.

As of January 2025, production had reached 1.29 million barrels per month from 309,434 barrels produced when it was newly launched in May 2024, signalling a leap in the country’s oil output within nine months.

This is according to the latest crude output document posted on the website of the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission obtained by Saturday PUNCH on Thursday.

This latest growth translates to a daily production rate of 41,910 barrels, marking a substantial rise in the production of the environmentally friendly crude grade.

However, the production rate is below the 50,000 barrels target set by the national oil firm.

In a statement in August 2024, the NNPCL disclosed that it had commenced the sales of the new crude oil blend to the international market.

The Managing Director, NNPC E & P Limited, Mr Nicholas Foucart, at the launch held at the Argus European Crude Conference, described the introduction of the Utapate crude oil blend into the market as a significant milestone for Nigeria’s crude oil export to the global energy market.

However, the monthly production report from the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission showed that the crude grade had maintained a steady increase, from 309,434 in May 2024 to 567,302 in June, and 754,222 in July, to 996,070 in August.

The crude production reached 1.15 million in September, reduced to 1.13 million in October, 1.16 million in November, 1.22 million in December and 1.299 million in January 2025.

The report also showed that five oil fields, including Ima, Ajape, Anambra Basin, Ukpokiti and Asaramatoru fields, didn’t produce crude or condensate.