Mkpoikana Udoma
Port Harcourt — Nigeria’s domestic gas market recorded strong growth in May 2026 as daily gas sales to local consumers rose to 2.18 billion standard cubic feet per day, Bscf/d, amid sustained growth in national gas production.
Data released by the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission, NUPRC, showed that total gas production increased to 7.93Bscf/d in May, representing a 0.63 per cent rise from the 7.88Bscf/d recorded in the corresponding period of 2025.
The latest figures underscore the growing importance of natural gas in Nigeria’s energy transition and industrialisation agenda, particularly as demand from power generation, manufacturing and other gas-based industries continues to expand.
According to the NUPRC, domestic gas sales climbed from 2.03Bscf/d in April to 2.18Bscf/d in May, accounting for 26.6 per cent of total gas utilisation during the month.
“The increase in domestic sales reflects ongoing efforts to meet local supply obligations,” the Commission stated.
The regulator noted that the growth in local gas utilisation aligns with the Federal Government’s drive to deepen domestic gas consumption under the Decade of Gas initiative and expand access to cleaner energy sources.
A breakdown of production data showed that Associated Gas, AG, contributed 3.96Bscf/d, while Non-Associated Gas, NAG, accounted for 3.98Bscf/d, highlighting the increasing role of dedicated gas development projects in sustaining output growth.
The NUPRC said the near-equal contribution from associated and non-associated gas demonstrates that “non-associated gas is increasingly carrying its own weight in the production mix and reflects the maturation of dedicated gas development initiatives.”
Despite the year-on-year growth, total gas production declined marginally by 0.12 per cent compared to the 7.94Bscf/d recorded in April 2026.
However, the broader production trend remained positive, rising steadily from 7.80Bscf/d in January to 7.81Bscf/d in February, 7.85Bscf/d in March, 7.94Bscf/d in April and 7.93Bscf/d in May.
The report also showed a significant decline in gas export volumes, which fell from 4.13Bscf/d to 3.07Bscf/d during the review period. Export sales accounted for about 40 per cent of total gas production.
Meanwhile, 2.11Bscf/d, representing 26.5 per cent of production, was consumed as operational fuel and for own-use purposes, while 0.57Bscf/d, or 6.9 per cent of output, was flared.
The NUPRC noted that the flare volume reflects ongoing efforts by operators and regulators to achieve Nigeria’s target of ending routine gas flaring by 2030.
Year-to-date gas production averaged 7.87Bscf/d, improving from the 7.82Bscf/d recorded in the first quarter of 2026 and rising further to an average of 7.94Bscf/d across April and May.
The growth in domestic gas sales, SweetCrude Reports noted, is a positive indicator for Nigeria’s energy security ambitions, particularly as the government seeks to leverage the country’s vast gas resources to drive industrial growth, expand electricity generation and support economic diversification.
