Nigeria produced an average of 1.53 million barrels of crude oil per day in September, exceeding its 1.5 million barrels per day quota set by the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries for the fifth consecutive month.
Data from the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission showed that the country achieved about 102 per cent of its OPEC allocation, sustaining its production performance despite persistent challenges in the oil and gas sector.
The September output rose from 1.5 million barrels per day recorded in August, indicating a recovery in crude oil production.
Figures from the commission showed that Nigeria produced 1.53 million barrels per day in May, 1.55 million in June, 1.51 million in July, 1.5 million in August and 1.53 million in September.
The figures exclude condensate, a light hydrocarbon produced alongside crude oil and natural gas.
With condensate included, Nigeria’s total petroleum output averaged 1.72 million barrels per day in September, up by 2.34 per cent from 1.68 million barrels per day recorded in August.
The September figure was the second-highest monthly average between April and September, behind June’s 1.74 million barrels per day.
Combined output rose from 1.66 million barrels per day in April to 1.70 million in May and 1.74 million in June before declining in July and August.
The commission attributed the September improvement to stable production operations across most oil-producing assets and the absence of any major pipeline outage during the month.
It said the development helped improve production uptime and the efficiency of crude oil evacuation.
The regulator added that sustained output growth reflected efforts by operators and industry stakeholders to improve operational efficiency, maintain asset integrity and ensure production reliability.
Daily production peaked at 1.84 million barrels during the month, while the lowest recorded output was 1.68 million barrels.
A breakdown of production by terminal showed that Forcados accounted for the highest daily average, at 320,320 barrels, followed by Bonny Terminal with 303,270 barrels.
The sustained performance could strengthen Nigeria’s position in the international oil market and support government revenue, although the country’s ability to maintain output will depend on continued operational stability and effective management of production assets.
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