Nigeria’s crude oil and condensate production dropped to an average of 1.581 million barrels per day (bpd) in September 2025.
This is according to the latest figures released by the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) on Saturday.
The Commission’s report revealed that the September production consisted of 1.39 million bpd of crude oil and 191,373 bpd of condensates, marking a temporary setback in the country’s upstream performance.
The dip in output comes amid recent market developments, as OPEC+ signaled a modest production increase for November, a move that has already begun to impact crude prices.
Earlier this month, Nairametrics reported that Nigerian crude grades were trading lower following the cartel’s announcement, underscoring the delicate balance between domestic production trends and global oil market dynamics.
Output disrupted by PENGASSAN industrial action
According to the NUPRC, the decline was primarily due to the three-day industrial action embarked upon by the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) during the month.
The strike action led to the shutdown of several production and export facilities, disrupting output and export schedules.
Additionally, the agency disclosed that scheduled turnaround maintenance at two major production facilities further contributed to the decline.
Despite these operational setbacks, the industry recorded a total production of 47.43 million barrels of crude oil and condensates in September, reflecting a 1.61% year-on-year increase in average daily output compared to the same period in 2024, when production stood at 1.55 million bpd.
However, when compared on a month-on-month basis, the September figure represented a 3.09% decline from the 1.63 million bpd recorded in August 2025.
The NUPRC noted that average crude oil production during the month stood at 93% of Nigeria’s OPEC quota of 1.5 million bpd — a performance that, though below full compliance, signals relative stability amid production headwinds.
During the review period, peak daily production of combined crude and condensate hit 1.81 million bpd, while the lowest level recorded was 1.35 million bpd, underscoring the volatility in output due to temporary disruptions.
More insights
According to NUPRC, analysis of the top eight production streams showed that:
- Forcados Blend accounted for the largest share, contributing 15.86% of total national production.
- Bonny Light followed with 13.31%, while Qua Iboe ranked third with 9.88%.
- Escravos Light contributed 8.96%, and Bonga Crude delivered 6.83% of the total.
- Agbami Condensate accounted for 4.94%, Erha Crude contributed 4.55%, and Amenam Blend supplied 4.2%.
What you should know
NUPRC earlier reported that Nigeria’s crude oil production grew by 5.5% year-on-year in August 2025, averaging 1.43 million barrels per day (bpd) compared to 1.36 million bpd in the same period last year.
In a letter dated September 29, 2025, Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd)’s Group Chief Executive Officer, Bayo Ojulari, informed regulators that the PENGASSAN’s industrial action led to significant production deferments and projected revenue losses from missed crude liftings and reduced gas sales.
