KEY POINTS
- NUPRC approved 128 oil wells for drilling and 77 for re-entry in 2026.
- More than 788,000 barrels per day remain shut in across 63 operators.
- The commission is targeting $30bn to $50bn in offshore investments and has offered 40 oil and gas blocks.
The Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission, NUPRC, has approved 128 oil wells for drilling and the re-entry of 77 existing wells in 2026 as part of efforts to increase Nigeria’s oil and gas production.
Oritsemeyiwa Eyesan, chief executive officer of the commission, disclosed this on Thursday at the Nigerian Association of Energy Correspondents (NAEC) conference.
The event was themed “Access to Assets: Empowering Players and Driving Growth” and focused on improving access to Nigeria’s energy resources, attracting investment and expanding production.
Eyesan said the commission had stepped up its approval processes to enable oil and gas operators to advance projects and increase output.
According to her, 128 wells received approval for drilling in 2026, while 77 existing wells had been successfully re-entered during the year.
Re-entering an oil well involves returning to an existing well to carry out additional work, repair equipment or access hydrocarbon reserves that can support further production. The approach can help operators improve output without necessarily drilling entirely new wells.
The approvals form part of the regulator’s broader strategy to strengthen Nigeria’s upstream petroleum sector, which covers the exploration and production of crude oil and natural gas.
Over 788,000 barrels per day remain shut
Despite the progress, the NUPRC chief executive said Nigeria still had significant production capacity that was not being utilised.
Eyesan disclosed that more than 788,000 barrels per day of oil production remained shut in across 63 operators.
Shut-in production refers to output that has been temporarily stopped, even when the resources or facilities may be available for production. Restoring this capacity could help Nigeria increase crude oil supply without relying solely on new exploration and development projects.
The commission is therefore working to bring some of the affected production back online as part of efforts to improve the country’s output.
Recovering the shut-in volumes could also strengthen government revenue and support Nigeria’s efforts to meet its production ambitions, although the actual volume recovered would depend on the reasons for the shutdowns and the work required to resolve them.
Eyesan also said the NUPRC was working to accelerate investment in major offshore oil and gas developments.
The commission is targeting projects worth between $30 billion and $50 billion to reach a final investment decision (FID).
An FID is the point at which investors formally commit the funding required to proceed with a project. Reaching this stage is an important step towards construction, development and eventual production.
The commission believes that increased investment in offshore projects, supported by regulatory improvements and government policies, could help Nigeria expand production over the coming years.
