Nigeria’s crude oil production rose to 1.56 million barrels per day (bpd) in June, the highest level in 74 months, exceeding its OPEC quota as output increased for the fourth consecutive month.
Nigeria’s crude oil production reached 1.56 million barrels per day (bpd) in June 2026, the highest level recorded since April 2020 and a 74-month high, the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) has announced.
The figure was disclosed in a statement issued by the commission on Sunday, which attributed the improved performance to stable production operations across most producing assets and the absence of major pipeline outages during the period under review.
Four consecutive months of growth
The June figure marks the fourth consecutive month of production growth, continuing an upward trajectory that began earlier in the year. Nigeria’s crude oil production rose from 1.31 million bpd in February to 1.38 million bpd in March, 1.48 million bpd in April, and 1.53 million bpd in May, before reaching 1.56 million bpd in June, representing a two percent month-on-month increase.
The commission said the growth trend for combined crude oil and condensate production followed a similar pattern.
“The statistics shows that Nigeria has maintained an upward trajectory, increasing from 1.483 mbpd in February to 1.546 mbpd in March, 1.663 mbpd in April, 1.700 mbpd in May, and 1.735 mbpd in June representing a 2.2% growth month on month,” the commission said.
Nigeria exceeds OPEC quota
Beyond the production milestone, the NUPRC confirmed that Nigeria met 104 percent of its 1.5 million bpd crude oil production quota set by the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) in June, meaning Nigeria produced above its allocated ceiling for the month.
In addition to the 1.56 million bpd of crude oil, Nigeria produced 180,000 bpd of condensates during the period, pushing combined crude oil and condensate production to an average of 1,735,398 bpd in June. The commission noted that peak combined production touched 1.89 million bpd during the month, while the lowest recorded figure for the period was 1.57 million bpd.
“In June, the peak combined crude oil and condensate production was 1.89mbpd, reflecting Nigeria’s potential to reach 2mbpd in the near term,” the commission said.
The NUPRC attributed the improved performance to enhanced operational stability, which boosted production uptime and improved crude evacuation efficiency. The absence of any major pipeline outages during the review period was identified as a key factor sustaining the output gains.
Background
Nigeria’s oil production has long underperformed relative to its OPEC quota, with pipeline vandalism, crude oil theft and operational disruptions keeping output well below potential for much of the past decade. A 74-month high in June, achieved without major pipeline incidents, signals a meaningful shift in the stability of upstream operations.
The milestone also comes against the backdrop of NNPC Limited’s announcement earlier this month that Nigeria’s crude output had risen to approximately 1.71 million bpd, the highest in five years, when measured against a broader operational benchmark. The NUPRC’s June figure of 1.56 million bpd, which excludes condensates, is consistent with that trajectory and reinforces the picture of a sector recovering ground lost during years of operational disruption.
With peak combined output touching 1.89 million bpd in June, the commission’s suggestion that Nigeria has the potential to reach 2 million bpd in the near term aligns with targets set by both the NNPC and the Federal Government for the broader oil sector reform programme.
