The Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) said it approved 595 well re-entries, 145 new well-drilling operations and 39 Field Development Plans (FDPs) in 2026.
It said the move is to boost oil production, attract investment and strengthen Nigeria’s energy security.
The Commission Chief Executive of NUPRC, Oritsemeyiwa Eyesan, also stated that the country’s rig count has increased to 100, with 46 rigs currently active.
This, she said, represents a 300 per cent increase from 2021.
Daily Trust reports that rig count is the total number of active drilling rigs exploring for and producing oil and gas in a country at a given time.
It evaluates drilling activity – when rig count goes up, it means more exploration and production work is happening.
The CCE spoke in Lagos at the management session of the 44th Annual International Conference and Exhibition of the Nigerian Association of Petroleum Explorationists (NAPE).
The CCE who was represented by the Deputy Director, Basinal Administration, NUPRC, Ahmad Abdullahi, explained that the approvals were part of the Commission’s strategy to ensure that regulatory processes support production growth and the availability of energy in the country.
“Year to date, about 39 FDPs have been approved. About 145 new well-drilling approvals were granted. Year to date, about 595 well reentry approvals were granted. That goes to tell that as a commission, we have improved our approval time level, which again reduces costs that are being wasted or for projects to continue to wait for approval,” she stated.
“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 said.
She noted that the rising number of approvals reflects improvements in the Commission’s approval processes, which have helped reduce waiting periods and the costs operators incur while projects remain on hold.
The NUPRC boss also disclosed that Nigeria’s total rig count now stands at 100 out of which 46 are currently active.