THE Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) has revealed that Nigeria’s domestic refineries received more than 127 million barrels of crude oil and condensate between January and September 2026, following improved implementation of the Domestic Crude Supply Obligation (DCSO).
The Commission said the development reflected progress in ensuring that local refineries have better access to feedstock as part of efforts to strengthen the country’s refining capacity.
The Commission Chief Executive, Mrs Oritsemeyiwa Eyesan, disclosed this on Monday during her presentation at the OTL Africa Downstream Energy Week 2026 in Lagos, held on 26 October 2026.
Speaking on the theme, “Secure Energy, Shared Prosperity”, Mrs Eyesan, who was represented by the Assistant Director, Operations, Mr Prosper Omonedo, said the NUPRC’s intervention helped improve crude deliveries after disagreements between producers and refiners disrupted supplies in the first quarter of the year.
The Commission said it engaged both producers and refiners to resolve supply challenges, resulting in the delivery of 53.7 million barrels of crude oil and condensate to domestic refineries in the second quarter, while 45.1 million barrels were supplied in the third quarter.
The NUPRC stated that the deliveries represented 97.4 per cent and 76.2 per cent performance levels respectively, adding that more than 127 million barrels of Nigerian crude were supplied to local refineries between the first and third quarters of 2026.
In line with Section 109 of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) 2021, the Commission is responsible for allocating crude oil to domestic refineries before any export consideration.
In a statement signed by Eniola Akinkuotu, Head of Media and Corporate Communications, Mrs Eyesan disclosed that the NUPRC was also consulting producers, refiners and other industry stakeholders on a domestic crude swap arrangement.
She explained that the framework would enable refiners to obtain crude from the nearest suitable production or export point instead of transporting specific allocated crude grades across long distances.
According to her, the arrangement could reduce transportation expenses and lower the cost of each barrel by an estimated three to four dollars.
On crude production, the NUPRC boss disclosed that Nigeria recorded an average output of 1.717 million barrels per day of crude oil and condensate in September 2026, representing a 2.34 per cent increase compared with August.
She added that crude oil production alone averaged 1.53 million barrels per day, marking the fifth consecutive month that the industry achieved or surpassed its production quota.
Mrs Eyesan attributed the rise in output to improved asset integrity, stronger protection of evacuation infrastructure, better cooperation with operators and sustained regulatory measures aimed at bringing shut-in production back on stream.
On the 2026 Licensing Round, the NUPRC chief executive said the 40 oil blocks available would undergo a transparent evaluation process based on publicly released criteria, with mandatory disclosure of beneficial ownership.
She added that the Commission was enforcing the drill-or-drop policy to discourage speculative retention of licences, noting that 22 recent awardees were expected to deliver at least 250,000 barrels per day within five years.
Mrs Eyesan further reaffirmed the Commission’s commitment to achieving the Domestic Gas Delivery Obligation and working with the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) to harmonise refinery demand with crude supply planning.
She said the move was aimed at ensuring that improvements recorded in the upstream sector translate into meaningful benefits for households, industries and power generation.
