By Seun Ibiyemi
Nigeria’s crude oil production declined by 4 per cent month-on-month to 1.505 million barrels per day (mbpd) in July 2026, but remained above the country’s OPEC quota of 1.5mbpd for the third consecutive month.
The latest production data released by the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) showed that the country produced an average of 1.505mbpd of crude oil and 170,000 barrels per day of condensate, bringing total crude and condensate output to 1.67mbpd during the month.
The July crude production figure was about 65,000 barrels per day lower than the 1.57mbpd recorded in June, representing a decline of approximately 4 per cent.
According to the NUPRC, the decline was mainly caused by operational challenges at the Erha and Akpo fields, which constrained production during the month.
The regulator, however, said production activities across other assets remained relatively stable, with operators taking measures to minimise the impact of the disruptions.
“Despite the challenges encountered, production operations across other producing assets remained relatively stable, with operators implementing measures aimed at maintaining production efficiency and minimising the impact of operational constraints,” the commission said.
Production remains above OPEC quota
Despite the monthly decline, Nigeria has now exceeded its 1.5mbpd OPEC production quota for three consecutive months, strengthening the recent recovery in the country’s upstream sector.
Combined crude and condensate production had risen steadily from 1.459mbpd in January to 1.483mbpd in February, 1.564mbpd in March, 1.663mbpd in April, 1.701mbpd in May and 1.735mbpd in June before declining to 1.67mbpd in July.
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The July figure remained about 211,000 barrels per day, or 14.5 per cent, higher than January’s output, indicating that production remains significantly above the level recorded at the beginning of the year.
The NUPRC said daily combined production fluctuated between 1.57mbpd and 1.78mbpd during July.
The regulator added that routine production and crude evacuation activities were largely sustained across the industry despite the operational challenges.
It said industry operators and other stakeholders were working to restore affected production capacity and improve asset reliability in subsequent months.
Forcados leads production streams
The NUPRC data showed that the Forcados Terminal recorded the highest average output among the major streams listed, at 322.34kbpd in July.
It was followed by Bonny Terminal with 303.72kbpd, while Qua Iboe Terminal recorded 158.02kbpd.
Escravos Oil Terminal produced an average of 131.41kbpd, while the Bonga stream recorded 100.23kbpd.
The latest production figures are significant for Nigeria’s fiscal and external sector, as higher crude output could support government revenues, foreign exchange earnings and investment in the upstream oil industry.
However, the July decline highlights the continued sensitivity of Nigeria’s oil production to operational disruptions and the need for improved reliability across producing assets.
