Nigeria reported its strongest crude oil output in nearly a year, reaching 1.70 million barrels per day in May 2026—its highest level in 11 months and above the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) benchmark for the month. The latest figures from the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) show that performance improved despite the usual operational risks in the sector, with production running within a relatively wide band during the review period.
May 2026 production beats OPEC quota
- Nigeria’s crude output in May 2026 averaged 1.70 million barrels per day, the strongest result recorded in 11 months.
- The month’s production exceeded the OPEC allocation level of 1.5 million barrels per day.
- Across the review window, combined crude oil and condensate production stayed firm, ranging from 1.51 million bpd at the low end to 1.86 million bpd at the top end.
- The May result marked the highest point for Nigeria since July 2025, when output climbed to 1.71 million bpd.
By producing stream, Bonny Terminal was the main contributor to Nigeria’s May 2026 volumes, pumping 293,870 bpd. Forcados followed with 289,900 bpd, while Qua Iboe placed third at 173,360 bpd. Escravos contributed 135,470 bpd, and Odudu (Amenam Blend) rounded out the leading five streams with 63,250 bpd during the month.
Operations stayed stable, regulators cite no major outages
NUPRC linked the stronger output to steady field operations. The regulator said there were no significant pipeline disruptions or major facility outages recorded in May 2026, helping sustain production levels across key export and production routes.
