Nigeria’s crude oil and condensate production fell to an average of 1.58 million barrels per day in September 2025, following a three-day strike by senior oil workers and scheduled maintenance at key facilities.
This is according to newly released operational data released by the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission on Saturday.
The statement read, “Crude Oil and condensates production for the month of September 2025 fell to an average of 1.581 million barrels per day, according to official statistics released by the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission on Saturday, October 11.
“The 1.581 million barrels per day average production in September comprises 1.39 million bpd of crude oil and 191,373 bpd of condensate.”
The Commission explained that the temporary shutdown of production and export facilities during the industrial action by the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria led to a noticeable output dip. It added that turnaround maintenance at two strategic oil facilities further constrained production levels during the month.
According to the NUPRC’s report, Nigeria produced a total of 47.43 million barrels of crude oil and condensate in September, translating to an average of 1.39 million barrels of crude oil and 191,373 barrels of condensate per day.
Despite the setback, the data reflected a 1.61 per cent year-on-year increase, compared to the 1.55 million bpd produced in September 2024, a sign of gradual improvement in the nation’s upstream sector.
However, on a month-on-month basis, production declined by 3.09 per cent from 1.63 million bpd in August 2025, indicating that the strike and maintenance activities took a short-term toll on output.
The NUPRC further noted that the average crude oil production level in September represented 93 per cent of Nigeria’s OPEC production quota of 1.5 million barrels per day.
During the month under review, peak daily production of crude and condensate reached 1.81 million bpd, while the lowest output was 1.35 million bpd.
A breakdown of production by top streams showed that Forcados Blend led the chart with 15.86 per cent of total output, followed by Bonny Light with 13.31 per cent, Qua Iboe with 9.88 per cent, Escravos Light at 8.96 per cent, and Bonga Crude contributing 6.83 per cent.
Other key contributors included Agbami Condensate (4.94 per cent), Erha Crude (4.55 per cent), and Amenam Blend (4.2 per cent).
Nigeria, Africa’s largest oil producer, has recently met its OPEC production targets following improved output levels.
However, while the modest year-on-year growth points to steady recovery, the month-on-month decline highlights the lingering fragility of the country’s oil production system, still prone to labour unrest, operational disruptions, and infrastructure bottlenecks.
The NUPRC has been implementing several initiatives, including stricter monitoring of production facilities, increased investment in field surveillance, and regulatory reforms, to stabilise crude output and restore Nigeria’s position within the global oil market.
The strike by PENGASSAN in late September, which centred around demands for improved welfare and safety of oil workers, was resolved after government intervention, but its short-term impact underscored the sector’s vulnerability to operational disruptions.