GITNUXREPORT 2026

Nigeria Oil Production Statistics

Nigeria's oil production has declined significantly from its peak and now faces major challenges.

Rajesh Patel

Team Lead & Senior Researcher with over 15 years of experience in market research and data analytics.

First published: Feb 13, 2026

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Statistic 1

Oil theft losses: N1.29 trillion ($3.3 billion) in 2022

Statistic 2

Pipeline vandalism incidents: 469 in 2022

Statistic 3

Production shut-ins due to theft: 619,000 bpd in Q1 2023

Statistic 4

Militant attacks reduced production by 1 million bpd in 2006 peak

Statistic 5

COVID-19 impact: 40% drop in demand led to 500,000 bpd cut in 2020

Statistic 6

Forcados pipeline rupture 2016: Shut-in 250,000 bpd for months

Statistic 7

Niger Delta Avengers attacks 2016: Production fell to 1.4 million bpd from 2.1

Statistic 8

Illegal refining sites destroyed: 8,408 in 2022 by security forces

Statistic 9

Gas flaring volume: 240 million scf/day in 2022

Statistic 10

OPEC quota non-compliance: Nigeria exceeded by 100,000 bpd in 2022

Statistic 11

Maintenance shut-ins: 200,000 bpd in Q4 2023 planned

Statistic 12

Spill incidents: 197 in 2022

Statistic 13

Cleanup costs: $1 billion annually for spills and theft

Statistic 14

Community conflicts: 15% production loss in OMLs

Statistic 15

Weather-related disruptions: Minimal, less than 1% annually

Statistic 16

COVID lockdowns: Additional 100,000 bpd loss in 2021

Statistic 17

Bonga field shut-in 2011: 225,000 bpd offline for 2 weeks

Statistic 18

Qua Iboe maintenance 2023: 100,000 bpd offline

Statistic 19

Offshore piracy incidents: 12 in 2022 affecting tankers

Statistic 20

Oil revenue contribution to GDP: 5.5% in 2022

Statistic 21

Federation Account oil revenue: N6.3 trillion in 2022

Statistic 22

Oil accounts for 90% of export earnings

Statistic 23

NNPCL remittances to federation: $22.5 billion in 2023

Statistic 24

Upstream investment FDI: $2.5 billion in 2022

Statistic 25

Jobs in oil sector: 200,000 direct, 500,000 indirect

Statistic 26

Local content spend: N2.36 trillion since 2010

Statistic 27

Tax oil revenue: 65% of total non-oil tax in 2022

Statistic 28

Budget allocation oil-dependent: 70% of 2023 budget from oil

Statistic 29

Royalty payments: N1.1 trillion in 2022

Statistic 30

PSC profit oil share to govt: 60-80% depending on tranche

Statistic 31

JV cash call arrears: $3 billion pending from govt

Statistic 32

Gas revenue: $1.5 billion exports in 2022

Statistic 33

Refining capacity utilization: 10% average in 2022

Statistic 34

Import substitution savings potential: $10 billion/year if refineries at 100%

Statistic 35

Nigeria's crude oil exports in 2022 totaled 368 million tonnes

Statistic 36

2022 oil exports value: $68.3 billion

Statistic 37

Monthly export average 2023 Q1: 41.7 million barrels

Statistic 38

Top destination US imports from Nigeria: 8.2 million barrels in 2022

Statistic 39

India imported 233,000 bpd from Nigeria in 2023

Statistic 40

EU imports from Nigeria: 5% of total EU oil imports in 2022

Statistic 41

Export terminals: Bonny exported 1.2 million bpd in 2022 average

Statistic 42

Crude oil export proceeds Jan-Nov 2023: $50.8 billion

Statistic 43

2021 exports: 1.38 million bpd average

Statistic 44

Pipeline exports via EAEP: 20,000 bpd to Cameroon

Statistic 45

LNG exports: 22 million tonnes in 2022 from Nigeria LNG

Statistic 46

Refined product exports negligible, less than 1% of production

Statistic 47

Forcados terminal exports: 225,000 bpd capacity

Statistic 48

Brass terminal planned exports: 1 million bpd

Statistic 49

Export disruptions 2023: 314,000 bpd loss due to theft

Statistic 50

Crude grade Qua Iboe exports: 7.5 million barrels/month average

Statistic 51

Bonny Light exports to Europe: 40% of Nigerian crude in 2022

Statistic 52

Agbami crude exports: Primarily to US and Asia, 600,000 bpd

Statistic 53

Nigeria has over 159 oil fields, with 80 onshore, 60 shallow water, 19 deepwater

Statistic 54

Agbami deepwater field daily production: 250,000 bpd peak

Statistic 55

Bonga field, operated by Shell, produces 200,000 bpd from 9 billion boe reserves

Statistic 56

Erha FPSO produces 150,000 bpd, operated by ExxonMobil

Statistic 57

OML 130 (Usan) field: 150,000 bpd capacity, TotalEnergies operator

Statistic 58

Akpo deepwater field: 175,000 bpd, TotalEnergies

Statistic 59

Egina FPSO: 200,000 bpd, operational since 2018

Statistic 60

Abo field: 50,000 bpd, Eni operator

Statistic 61

Qua Iboe terminal processes 650,000 bpd

Statistic 62

Bonny Terminal: Handles 1.25 million bpd export capacity

Statistic 63

Forcados Terminal: 400,000 bpd capacity post-repair

Statistic 64

Pennington-1 well discovery: 1.2 billion boe potential

Statistic 65

OML 127 (Madu) field: Recent 24 trillion bcf gas discovery

Statistic 66

Onshore fields contribute 40% of production

Statistic 67

Deepwater fields: 30% of total production

Statistic 68

FPSOs in operation: 12 units producing 1 million bpd combined

Statistic 69

Niger Delta Basin hosts 90% of fields

Statistic 70

OML 49 (Ikebiri) field: 20,000 bpd

Statistic 71

Asasa field discovery: 500 million boe

Statistic 72

Nigeria produced 1,454,000 barrels per day of crude oil on average in 2022 according to OPEC

Statistic 73

In 2021, Nigeria's crude oil production averaged 1,377,000 bpd, down from 1,528,000 bpd in 2020 per BP Statistical Review

Statistic 74

Nigeria's oil production peaked at 2.496 million bpd in November 2005

Statistic 75

Monthly average crude oil production in Nigeria for February 2023 was 1,367,857 bpd as reported by NNPC

Statistic 76

Nigeria's 2023 average daily oil production forecast by EIA is 1.4 million bpd

Statistic 77

In Q1 2023, Nigeria produced an average of 1.31 million bpd of crude oil

Statistic 78

Nigeria's condensate production averaged 239,000 bpd in 2022

Statistic 79

Total petroleum liquids production in Nigeria was 1.69 million bpd in 2022 per EIA

Statistic 80

Nigeria's oil production dropped to 1.25 million bpd in August 2023 due to theft

Statistic 81

Historical peak monthly production: 2.58 million bpd in December 2002

Statistic 82

Nigeria's 2019 average crude production was 1.822 million bpd

Statistic 83

In 2020, production fell to 1.738 million bpd amid COVID-19

Statistic 84

Q4 2022 average: 1.37 million bpd

Statistic 85

January 2024 production: 1.64 million bpd

Statistic 86

Nigeria's proven oil reserves as of 2022: 36.9 billion barrels

Statistic 87

OPEC estimates Nigeria's proven reserves at 37.1 billion barrels in 2023

Statistic 88

EIA data: Nigeria holds 37.5 billion barrels of proven crude oil reserves (2021)

Statistic 89

NNPC reports total hydrocarbon reserves at 198.74 trillion cubic feet of gas and 37 billion barrels oil equivalent

Statistic 90

Undiscovered technically recoverable oil resources: 6 billion barrels per USGS

Statistic 91

Proven reserves-to-production ratio: 57 years based on 2022 data

Statistic 92

Niger Delta reserves concentration: Over 90% of reserves in 159 fields

Statistic 93

Deepwater reserves: Approximately 15 billion barrels untapped

Statistic 94

Total recoverable reserves estimate: 38 billion barrels by 2023 OPEC survey

Statistic 95

Gas reserves: 206 trillion cubic feet proven (2022)

Statistic 96

Agbami field reserves: 1 billion barrels

Statistic 97

Bonga field: 9 billion barrels oil equivalent reserves

Statistic 98

Erha field: Over 1 billion barrels recoverable

Statistic 99

Nigeria LNG reserves support: 25 trillion cubic feet

Statistic 100

Frontier basins reserves potential: 40 billion barrels undiscovered

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From producing over 2.5 million barrels per day at its zenith to a recent struggle to consistently surpass 1.4 million, Nigeria's oil production tells a story of immense potential grappling with persistent challenges.

Key Takeaways

Nigeria produced 1,454,000 barrels per day of crude oil on average in 2022 according to OPEC
In 2021, Nigeria's crude oil production averaged 1,377,000 bpd, down from 1,528,000 bpd in 2020 per BP Statistical Review
Nigeria's oil production peaked at 2.496 million bpd in November 2005
Nigeria's proven oil reserves as of 2022: 36.9 billion barrels
OPEC estimates Nigeria's proven reserves at 37.1 billion barrels in 2023
EIA data: Nigeria holds 37.5 billion barrels of proven crude oil reserves (2021)
Nigeria's crude oil exports in 2022 totaled 368 million tonnes
2022 oil exports value: $68.3 billion
Monthly export average 2023 Q1: 41.7 million barrels
Nigeria has over 159 oil fields, with 80 onshore, 60 shallow water, 19 deepwater
Agbami deepwater field daily production: 250,000 bpd peak
Bonga field, operated by Shell, produces 200,000 bpd from 9 billion boe reserves
Oil theft losses: N1.29 trillion ($3.3 billion) in 2022
Pipeline vandalism incidents: 469 in 2022
Production shut-ins due to theft: 619,000 bpd in Q1 2023

Nigeria's oil production has declined significantly from its peak and now faces major challenges.

Disruptions

Oil theft losses: N1.29 trillion ($3.3 billion) in 2022
Pipeline vandalism incidents: 469 in 2022
Production shut-ins due to theft: 619,000 bpd in Q1 2023
Militant attacks reduced production by 1 million bpd in 2006 peak
COVID-19 impact: 40% drop in demand led to 500,000 bpd cut in 2020
Forcados pipeline rupture 2016: Shut-in 250,000 bpd for months
Niger Delta Avengers attacks 2016: Production fell to 1.4 million bpd from 2.1
Illegal refining sites destroyed: 8,408 in 2022 by security forces
Gas flaring volume: 240 million scf/day in 2022
OPEC quota non-compliance: Nigeria exceeded by 100,000 bpd in 2022
Maintenance shut-ins: 200,000 bpd in Q4 2023 planned
Spill incidents: 197 in 2022
Cleanup costs: $1 billion annually for spills and theft
Community conflicts: 15% production loss in OMLs
Weather-related disruptions: Minimal, less than 1% annually
COVID lockdowns: Additional 100,000 bpd loss in 2021
Bonga field shut-in 2011: 225,000 bpd offline for 2 weeks
Qua Iboe maintenance 2023: 100,000 bpd offline
Offshore piracy incidents: 12 in 2022 affecting tankers

Disruptions Interpretation

Nigeria's oil narrative is a tragic comedy where the relentless script of theft, vandalism, and conflict forces production to perform a limbo dance under a bar constantly lowered by everything from global pandemics to local militants.

Economic Impact

Oil revenue contribution to GDP: 5.5% in 2022
Federation Account oil revenue: N6.3 trillion in 2022
Oil accounts for 90% of export earnings
NNPCL remittances to federation: $22.5 billion in 2023
Upstream investment FDI: $2.5 billion in 2022
Jobs in oil sector: 200,000 direct, 500,000 indirect
Local content spend: N2.36 trillion since 2010
Tax oil revenue: 65% of total non-oil tax in 2022
Budget allocation oil-dependent: 70% of 2023 budget from oil
Royalty payments: N1.1 trillion in 2022
PSC profit oil share to govt: 60-80% depending on tranche
JV cash call arrears: $3 billion pending from govt
Gas revenue: $1.5 billion exports in 2022
Refining capacity utilization: 10% average in 2022
Import substitution savings potential: $10 billion/year if refineries at 100%

Economic Impact Interpretation

Nigeria's oil sector remains a paradoxical golden goose that lays enormous, unreliable eggs, funding nearly everything while teetering on the brink of a self-inflicted cash call crisis, desperate for the refining capacity that would finally let it keep more of its golden yolk at home.

Export Figures

Nigeria's crude oil exports in 2022 totaled 368 million tonnes
2022 oil exports value: $68.3 billion
Monthly export average 2023 Q1: 41.7 million barrels
Top destination US imports from Nigeria: 8.2 million barrels in 2022
India imported 233,000 bpd from Nigeria in 2023
EU imports from Nigeria: 5% of total EU oil imports in 2022
Export terminals: Bonny exported 1.2 million bpd in 2022 average
Crude oil export proceeds Jan-Nov 2023: $50.8 billion
2021 exports: 1.38 million bpd average
Pipeline exports via EAEP: 20,000 bpd to Cameroon
LNG exports: 22 million tonnes in 2022 from Nigeria LNG
Refined product exports negligible, less than 1% of production
Forcados terminal exports: 225,000 bpd capacity
Brass terminal planned exports: 1 million bpd
Export disruptions 2023: 314,000 bpd loss due to theft
Crude grade Qua Iboe exports: 7.5 million barrels/month average
Bonny Light exports to Europe: 40% of Nigerian crude in 2022
Agbami crude exports: Primarily to US and Asia, 600,000 bpd

Export Figures Interpretation

Despite providing a lifeline to global economies through exports like Bonny Light, Nigeria's oil wealth continues to be siphoned away not just by market forces but by staggering domestic theft and infrastructure neglect, highlighting a painful paradox of resource-rich poverty.

Field Data

Nigeria has over 159 oil fields, with 80 onshore, 60 shallow water, 19 deepwater
Agbami deepwater field daily production: 250,000 bpd peak
Bonga field, operated by Shell, produces 200,000 bpd from 9 billion boe reserves
Erha FPSO produces 150,000 bpd, operated by ExxonMobil
OML 130 (Usan) field: 150,000 bpd capacity, TotalEnergies operator
Akpo deepwater field: 175,000 bpd, TotalEnergies
Egina FPSO: 200,000 bpd, operational since 2018
Abo field: 50,000 bpd, Eni operator
Qua Iboe terminal processes 650,000 bpd
Bonny Terminal: Handles 1.25 million bpd export capacity
Forcados Terminal: 400,000 bpd capacity post-repair
Pennington-1 well discovery: 1.2 billion boe potential
OML 127 (Madu) field: Recent 24 trillion bcf gas discovery
Onshore fields contribute 40% of production
Deepwater fields: 30% of total production
FPSOs in operation: 12 units producing 1 million bpd combined
Niger Delta Basin hosts 90% of fields
OML 49 (Ikebiri) field: 20,000 bpd
Asasa field discovery: 500 million boe

Field Data Interpretation

Nigeria's oil industry is a sprawling, multi-layered beast, boasting a prolific deepwater portfolio and massive terminals, yet it remains stubbornly anchored to the turbulent onshore fields that still deliver nearly half its daily bread.

Production Volumes

Nigeria produced 1,454,000 barrels per day of crude oil on average in 2022 according to OPEC
In 2021, Nigeria's crude oil production averaged 1,377,000 bpd, down from 1,528,000 bpd in 2020 per BP Statistical Review
Nigeria's oil production peaked at 2.496 million bpd in November 2005
Monthly average crude oil production in Nigeria for February 2023 was 1,367,857 bpd as reported by NNPC
Nigeria's 2023 average daily oil production forecast by EIA is 1.4 million bpd
In Q1 2023, Nigeria produced an average of 1.31 million bpd of crude oil
Nigeria's condensate production averaged 239,000 bpd in 2022
Total petroleum liquids production in Nigeria was 1.69 million bpd in 2022 per EIA
Nigeria's oil production dropped to 1.25 million bpd in August 2023 due to theft
Historical peak monthly production: 2.58 million bpd in December 2002
Nigeria's 2019 average crude production was 1.822 million bpd
In 2020, production fell to 1.738 million bpd amid COVID-19
Q4 2022 average: 1.37 million bpd
January 2024 production: 1.64 million bpd

Production Volumes Interpretation

While Nigeria's oil production numbers resemble a rollercoaster that got stuck on the dip, the sobering reality is that nearly two decades of decline, theft, and instability have left the nation pumping well below its former glory and its economic potential.

Reserves Estimates

Nigeria's proven oil reserves as of 2022: 36.9 billion barrels
OPEC estimates Nigeria's proven reserves at 37.1 billion barrels in 2023
EIA data: Nigeria holds 37.5 billion barrels of proven crude oil reserves (2021)
NNPC reports total hydrocarbon reserves at 198.74 trillion cubic feet of gas and 37 billion barrels oil equivalent
Undiscovered technically recoverable oil resources: 6 billion barrels per USGS
Proven reserves-to-production ratio: 57 years based on 2022 data
Niger Delta reserves concentration: Over 90% of reserves in 159 fields
Deepwater reserves: Approximately 15 billion barrels untapped
Total recoverable reserves estimate: 38 billion barrels by 2023 OPEC survey
Gas reserves: 206 trillion cubic feet proven (2022)
Agbami field reserves: 1 billion barrels
Bonga field: 9 billion barrels oil equivalent reserves
Erha field: Over 1 billion barrels recoverable
Nigeria LNG reserves support: 25 trillion cubic feet
Frontier basins reserves potential: 40 billion barrels undiscovered

Reserves Estimates Interpretation

With such a staggering amount of wealth still in the ground, from the proven billions to the hopeful frontiers, it is a profound national irony that Nigeria's greatest resource has so often been its greatest curse.

Sources & References

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