…Met 102% of OPEC Quota in May as Production Hits 11-Month High – NUPRC
Nigeria in May 2026 made history by surpassing its quota by the Organisation Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC).
This was contained in OPEC’s Monthly Oil Market Report (MOMR) for May published on Thursday.
Using MOMR direct communication: Nigeria, in April produced 1.489mbpd, while in May, it produced 1.530mbpd, an increase of 42,000barrels per day. The May production surpassed OPEC’s quota of 1.5mbpd by 30,000b/d.
The data also showed that Iraq in April supplied 1.494mbpd while in May, it produced 1.759mbpd, an increase 265,000b/d; Saudi Arabia, 6.879mbpd in April, 7.010mbpd in May, an increase of 131,000b/d; United Arab Emirate (UAE), 2.021mbpd in April and in May 2.111mbpd, an increase of 90,000b/d while Venezuela, 1.136mbpd in April and 1.179mbpd in May, an increase of 43,000b/d.
Using secondary sources, Nigeria’s production decreased from 1.520mbpd in April to 1.519mbpd, a decrease of 2,000b/d; Saudi Arabia, 6.755mbpd in April and 6.912mbpd in May, an increase of 157,000b/d; UAE, 2.023mbpd in April, 2.110mbpd in May, an increase of 87,000b/d; Venezuela, 1.036mbpd in April and 1.072mbpd in May.
Also Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) in a statement by its Head, Media and Corporate Communications, Eniola Akinkuotu, confirmed that Nigeria, in May, met 102% of OPEC quota as production hits 11-month high.
According to it, Nigeria’s oil production witnessed an upswing in May 2026, averaging 1,530,354 barrels of crude oil and 170,446 barrels of condensates per day, bringing the total combined production to 1, 700, 800 barrels per day and consolidating Nigeria’s position as Africa’s largest oil producer.
It stated that the average crude oil production recorded in May represents 102% of Nigeria’s 1.5mbpd of production quota allocated by the OPEC.
It explained that production performance during the review period remained robust, with combined crude oil and condensate output ranging between a low of 1.51 million bpd and a peak of 1.86 million bpd.
It added that the May 2026 production figures represent the highest recorded by Nigeria since July 2025 when output surged to 1,712,282.
NUPRC said: “In strict crude oil terms (excluding condensates), the 1.53 million barrels recorded in May 2026 represents the highest Nigeria has witnessed since January 2025 when crude oil production hit 1.538mbpd. The latest crude oil production statistics thus represents a 15-month high.
“On a month on month basis, production rose by 2.77% in May 2026 as against 1.48mbpd in April. The broader production trend over the last five months has also remained positive. Combined crude oil and condensate output increased from 1.48 mbpd in February to 1.54 mbpd in March, 1.66 mbpd in April, and then 1.7 mbpd in May, underscoring sustained growth in Nigeria’s hydrocarbon production levels.
“Among production streams, Bonny Terminal led the pack with a total blend of 293,870 bpd, closely followed by Forcados Terminal at 289,900 bpd. Qua Iboe ranked third with 173,360 bpd, while Escravos Oil Terminal contributed 135,470 bpd. Odudu (Amenam Blend) completed the top five production streams, accounting for 63,250 bpd during the month under review.”
The commission attributed the rise in production to a sustained positive momentum as operations remained stable throughout the reporting period with no significant pipeline or facility outages recorded.
It stated that additionally, all previously scheduled turnaround maintenance activities had been successfully completed, contributing to improved operational reliabilityand production efficiency.
