Nigeria’s upstream petroleum regulator approved 595 well re-entry operations, 145 new well-drilling applications, and 39 Field Development Plans (FDPs) in the first 10 months of 2026, as the country’s total rig count climbed to 100, with 46 rigs currently active.
The approvals reflect efforts to accelerate upstream investments, shorten regulatory delays and strengthen domestic crude oil production, according to the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC).
The Commission Chief Executive, Mrs Oritsemeyiwa Eyesan, disclosed the figures during a management session at the 44th Annual International Conference and Exhibition of the Nigerian Association of Petroleum Explorationists (NAPE) in Lagos.
Eyesan, who was represented by NUPRC Deputy Director of Basinal Administration, Ahmad Abdullahi, said the increased volume of approvals demonstrated improvements in the commission’s regulatory processes.
She explained that reducing the time required to approve drilling applications and development plans would limit the costs operators incur while waiting for regulatory clearance and allow projects to progress more quickly.
“Year to date, about 39 FDPs have been approved. About 145 new well-drilling approvals have been granted. Year to date, about 595 well re-entry approvals were granted,” she said.
Eyesan added that the commission was prioritising timely approvals to help operators meet production targets and sustain domestic energy supply.
“From the regulator’s perspective, to ensure that our energy security is not threatened, we must ensure that we approve Field Development Plans and new well-drilling applications to meet our production targets and guarantee energy availability,” she stated.
The conference, themed “Energy Security in an Era of Global Disruption: Positioning Nigeria for Resilience, Competitiveness, and Prosperity,” brought together industry stakeholders to discuss the country’s upstream investment prospects and energy security challenges.
The regulatory developments come as Nigeria sustained its compliance with the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries’ (OPEC) crude oil production quota for a sixth consecutive month in October.
NUPRC data showed that the country recorded average daily production of 1.687 million barrels of crude oil and condensate during the month, equivalent to 101% of its 1.5 million barrels per day OPEC crude oil quota.
Daily output reached a high of 1.79 million barrels during the period, while the lowest production level was 1.60 million barrels per day.
Excluding condensate, Nigeria produced 1.53 million barrels per day in May, 1.55 million bpd in June, 1.51 million bpd in July, 1.5 million bpd in August, 1.53 million bpd in September and 1.51 million bpd in October.
Despite maintaining production above its OPEC allocation, the country's average output declined by 1.7% month-on-month in October, according to figures announced by the commission in Abuja through its Head of Media and Corporate Communications, Eniola Akinkuotu.
The regulator attributed the relative stability in recent production levels to improved operational uptime and more efficient crude evacuation, alongside efforts by operators to strengthen asset integrity and production reliability.
A breakdown of October's average daily crude oil and condensate production showed that Forcados Terminal led with 318.49 thousand barrels per day, followed by Bonny Terminal at 311.02 thousand bpd.
Qua Iboe recorded 173.97 thousand bpd, while Escravos posted 134.67 thousand bpd. Bonga ranked fifth, with average daily production of 106.65 thousand barrels.
The commission said the combination of faster regulatory approvals, increased drilling activity, and improved operational efficiency remained central to its efforts to support production growth and safeguard Nigeria’s energy supply.
