Nigeria Exports 950,000 Barrels of New Cawthorn Crude

The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC), under the leadership of Bayo Ojulari, has achieved a major milestone by exporting 950,000 barrels of a new crude blend known as Cawthorn. This export, facilitated by the ultramodern Floating Storage and Offloading (FSO) Cawthorn vessel, represents Nigeria's first new crude oil terminal in 50 years.

The initiative follows the licensing granted by the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) and is supported by offshore product storage capabilities linked to nearby production assets in Oil Mining Lease (OML) 18. Sahara Group, a global energy infrastructure conglomerate, emphasized the strategic importance of this development for Nigeria's energy security and operational efficiency.

Dr. Tosin Etomi, head of commercial planning at Sahara Group, highlighted that the successful lift of crude from FSO Cawthorn signifies a defining moment for the OML 18 partnership and aligns with Sahara Group's broader upstream strategy focused on resilient and scalable operations.