Nigeria’s crude oil production increased to 1.235 million barrels per day in December 2022, according to data released by the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission on Sunday. This was the country’s highest output since March, when it produced 1.237mbpd.
According to data obtained from the commission in Abuja, oil production increased from 1.185 million barrels per day in November to 1.235 million barrels per day in December, demonstrating that the Federal Government’s and security agencies’ efforts to stop oil theft were successful.
The lowest production of crude oil ever seen in Nigeria was at 0.937 million barrels per day (mbpd) in September of last year. The Niger Delta’s pipeline thieves and oil thieves were blamed for the decline in oil output, which also caused several foreign companies to leave Nigeria.
Additional data from the NUPRC revealed that the output of crude oil, without blended or unblended condensates, was 1.398 mbpd, 1.257 mbpd, 1.237 mbpd, 1.219 mbpd, 1.024 mbpd, and 1.158 mbpd, respectively, in January, February, March, April, May, and June.
The oil production numbers were 1.08 mbpd, 0.972 mbpd, 0.937 mbpd, 1.014 mbpd, 1.185 mbpd, and 1.235 mbpd for the months of July, August, September, October, November, and December, respectively.
In order to efficiently increase the nation’s oil output, President Muhammadu Buhari issued an order to security forces on Thursday directing them to stop crude oil theft and pipeline damage in the Niger Delta by May 29, 2023.
The Federal Government, he claimed, could no longer put up with the crime. In Effurum, Delta State, and Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Buhari addressed the Joint Task Force Operation Delta Safe troops and issued the order through Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Chief Timipre Sylva.
Sylva was cited as stating, “Mr. President has tasked us to eradicate crude oil theft,” in a statement released in Abuja by his media assistant, Horatius Egua. No more crude oil should be stolen in the country, especially after his directive.
“He wants crude oil theft completely eliminated by May 29, 2023, as one of the legacies of his government. This is the message from Mr President. We are not where we want to be, but we are happy at what we are seeing.”
Prior to the renewed efforts of the Federal Government in tackling the menace of crude oil thieves, the nation’s daily crude oil production was about 900,000 barrels per day.
But with the recent improvements in security efforts, there has been an increase in oil output, as production has risen to about 1.5 million barrels per day, according to the statement.
Sylva added, “I am happy to hear that morale is high here. We were here a few months ago to hand over the mandate of Mr. President to you and that is to ensure that there is zero tolerance for crude oil theft in the region.”
