There has been increase in crude oil production in recent times as Nigeria’s daily average production hits over 1.43 million barrels per day in January 2024 with a difference of 91,000 increase from the1.34million barrels recorded in December 2023.
Also, the average daily amount of blended and unblended condensates for the month are 58,000 and 159,000 barrels respectively. This puts the total average of liquid daily at 1.64 million.
Despite not being able to meet its Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC’s) daily quota, Nigeria has since August 2023, maintained steady increase in production except for November when its output dropped to 1.25million b/d from 1.35million b/d recorded in October.
According to the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission’s (NUPRC) monthly oil production report, the country produced 44 million barrels of crude oil and by adding the blended and unblended condensates, this puts the total liquid produced in January, 2024 at 51million barrels.
The Minister of Petroleum (Oil), Heineken Lokpobiri, had last year, expressed the government’s commitment to increasing its daily production to over 2 million barrels per day.
According to him, issues of theft and pipeline vandalism were major factors hindering it from attaining increased production.
However, he said the government was working towards addressing these problems.
Meanwhile, the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, NNPCL, has uncovered 223 fresh illegal connections and refineries within the Niger Delta region.
The incidents were recorded between the 10th and 16th of February 2024.
This was disclosed by the Company in its weekly report on war against crude oil theft.
According to the Company, Matron Engineering facilities reported 27 incidents, 21 by Pipeline Infrastructure Nigeria Limited, Shell Petroleum Development Company facilities 7, four by Tantita Security Services Ltd, and 156 by government security agencies.
It further disclosed that an oil pit feeding directly from an oil source was discovered in Okirika, Rivers State, adding that 20 illegal connections were discovered across several locations in Rivers, Bayelsa and Delta States.
The Company noted that so far, 52 suspects have been arrested adding that 8 of these incidents were recorded in deep blue waters, 32 in the western region, 123 in the central region, and 60 in the eastern region part of the Niger Delta.
“For NNPC Limited, there is no backing down on the war on crude oil theft until the menace is eradicated,” it said
