Precious Anga
Lagos — Nigeria’s drive to raise crude oil production is gaining momentum as two newly introduced crude streams, Utapate and Cawthorne, have added more than 12 million barrels to the country’s output within the first five months of 2026.
Data from the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) showed that both grades collectively contributed 12.16 million barrels between January and May, strengthening Nigeria’s efforts to boost oil revenues, expand export options and sustain production growth.
Utapate remained the dominant contributor, producing 8.75 million barrels during the period, while the newly launched Cawthorne blend added 3.41 million barrels.
The performance comes as Nigeria intensifies efforts to consolidate its position as Africa’s largest oil producer amid renewed focus on operational stability and improved production efficiency.
However, Utapate has yet to achieve its ambitious 80,000 barrels-per-day production target announced by operators. Production averaged between 55,000 and 59,000 barrels per day during the review period, leaving a shortfall of more than 20,000 barrels daily.
Despite missing its target, the field has maintained a steady upward trajectory since production began in May 2024.
Speaking during the launch of the Utapate blend in July 2024, Managing Director of NNPC E&P Limited, Nicholas Foucart, expressed confidence in the field’s long-term potential.
“We have several ongoing projects to increase our production from the current 40,000 barrels per day to 50,000 barrels per day by January 2025 and between 60,000 and 65,000 barrels per day by June 2025. Essentially, we are targeting opportunities to increase production to 80,000 barrels per day by the end of 2025,” Foucart said.
Utapate, produced from Oil Mining Lease 13 in Akwa Ibom State, was introduced to the international market through a partnership between the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC) and Sterling Oil Exploration and Energy Production Company Limited (SEEPCO).
The blend has attracted international interest due to its low sulphur content and reduced carbon footprint achieved through flare gas elimination.
Foucart described the development as “a significant milestone for Nigeria’s crude oil export to the global energy market.”
Meanwhile, Cawthorne is rapidly emerging as another strategic export stream. Production climbed sharply from 12,340 barrels per day in January to nearly 31,000 barrels per day in April before easing slightly in May.
NNPC recently commenced exports of the new grade, with the maiden cargo of approximately 950,000 barrels shipped to the Netherlands aboard the MT Eburones vessel.
Chief Corporate Communications Officer of NNPC, Andy Odeh, said the development marks a major step towards strengthening Nigeria’s competitiveness in the global oil market.
“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,” Odeh said.
The emergence of both crude streams comes as Nigeria surpassed its OPEC production quota in May 2026 for the first time in 15 months.
According to NUPRC, the country produced 1.53 million barrels of crude oil per day in May, exceeding its 1.5 million barrels-per-day allocation. Including condensates, total oil output rose to 1.7 million barrels per day.
While the new crude grades are strengthening Nigeria’s production profile, analysts say sustaining growth will depend on operators translating ambitious targets into consistent output and maintaining operational stability across key assets.
