By Abubakar Yunusa
Gbenga Komolafe, chief executive officer of the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), says crude oil production crossed 1.8 million barrels of oil per day (MMBOPD) in July.
Komolafe, at the Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE) Nigerian Council event on Monday, addressed industry stakeholders on the operations of the agency.
He was represented by Enorense Amadasu, NUPRC’s executive commissioner, development and production.
The CEO said the commission is also pursuing the project 1 “MMBOPD Incremental initiative with modest gains recorded owing to the multi-stakeholder collaborative approach adopted”.
“We are glad to report that we crossed the 1.8 MMBOPD mark on peak production last month, with average production hovering at 1.78 MMBOPD,” he said.
Komolafe said since the enactment of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) of 2021, the commission has gazetted 21 key regulations, with others at various phases of development.
“These regulations provide the clarity required to support investment, streamline administration, and align upstream operations with national and global priorities,” he said.
Highlighting some of the regulations, he said the upstream petroleum measurement regulations will promote transparency and accountability through technology deployment for accurate production measurement.
The NUPRC chief said the gas flaring, venting, and methane emissions regulations directly support sustainability by tackling emissions and entrenching decarbonisation.
He said the host community development regulations enhance social inclusion and local participation in the energy value chain.
“The Domestic Gas Delivery Obligation Regulations, which improve energy access and strengthen the local supply chain,” Komolafe said.
“The Upstream Petroleum Safety Regulations, which ensure safe operations and workforce protection.
“The Decommissioning and Abandonment Regulations set clear standards for responsible end-of-life asset management.
“These instruments demonstrate our commitment to creating a regulatory environment that fosters innovation, secures long-term value, and ensures the responsible stewardship of Nigeria’s upstream resources.”
Komolafe said the NUPRC is also implementing core initiatives to drive positive industry actions and imperatives.
“To begin with, just last week, the Commission assembled industry practitioners to deliberate on a workable strategy to foster cluster development in the shallow and deepwater,” he said.
“Through an industry-wide implementation vehicle, we will evolve policy frameworks and operational mechanisms to valorise stranded or marginally economic oil & gas resources through joint development strategies.”
As part of its commitment towards sustainable production, Komolafe said the commission is optimising the maximum efficient rate (MER) framework, “addressing produced water management, and aligning operational shutdowns and turnaround maintenance schedules to reduce production disruptions”.
“Given the above and with the concerted efforts of all, the presidential mandate on production increase is well within reach,” he said.
“On another breadth, the NUPRC is implementing the Upstream Oil & Gas Decarbonisation & Sustainability Blueprint anchored on seven (7) critical pillars to signal direction for industry sustainability.”
The agency’s approach, Komolafe said, is to future-proof the upstream sector and position it for investment attractiveness, sustained funding, and global competitiveness.
“We call on all Operators to collaborate with us as we incorporate decarbonisation measures in Field Development, Facility Engineering, and Production Operations to accrue the afore-mentioned benefits,” he said.
The NUPRC CEO said building a sustainable energy future will demand trade-offs, innovation, and coordinated effort.
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