Nigeria’s crude oil and condensate production has increased by about 80 percent since May 2023, with improved security and operations along the Trans Niger Pipeline (TNP) playing a major role in the recovery.
Pipeline Infrastructure Nigeria Limited (PINL), the indigenous company responsible for managing the pipeline corridor, reported zero incidents of vandalism and oil theft on the TNP during its stakeholder engagement meeting in May.
The Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Oil), Heineken Lokpobiri, revealed the production growth during a ministry retreat in Abuja. According to him, Nigeria’s oil output has risen from around one million barrels per day (bpd) in 2023 to approximately 1.8 million bpd.
“Today, we are producing about 1.8 million barrels per day, representing more than 80 percent growth. However, we are still below our target,” the minister said.
Industry experts attribute the improvement to policy reforms, renewed investor confidence, and intensified efforts to curb crude oil theft and pipeline vandalism. For years, illegal refining activities and attacks on oil infrastructure forced operators to shut down production, reducing government revenue and discouraging investment in the sector.
PINL has been at the forefront of securing the TNP corridor through surveillance and community engagement initiatives covering 216 host communities. The company works closely with youths, traditional rulers, women’s groups, and local leaders to protect the critical national asset.
Its continuous monitoring efforts have helped uncover illegal bunkering operations, dismantle crude theft networks, and support the arrest of suspects involved in illegal refining activities. The improved security environment has enabled operators to reopen previously inactive wells, contributing to the rise in national production levels.
The company credited its zero-infraction record to strong partnerships with host communities. Through job creation and community participation in surveillance activities, PINL said it has encouraged local ownership of pipeline protection and reduced disruptions along the corridor.
Despite the progress, Lokpobiri noted that Nigeria is still working toward its production target of 2.5 million barrels per day. He added that the country possesses an estimated 37 billion barrels of crude oil reserves and 209 trillion cubic feet of natural gas, highlighting the significant potential for future growth.
He stressed that sustaining the current production gains will depend largely on maintaining security and preventing infractions along major oil transportation routes such as the Trans Niger Pipeline.
READ ALSO:
