NUPRC Sets 18-Month Deadline for Oil Production Start

The Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) has set an 18-month deadline for 22 holders of petroleum prospecting licences (PPLs) to achieve first oil production. NUPRC chief executive Oritsemeyiwa Eyesan announced this directive during an onboarding workshop in Lagos.

The commission aims for these new awardees to contribute an additional 250,000 barrels per day to Nigeria's oil output within five years. The licences were awarded in the 2022, 2023, and 2024 licensing rounds, as part of a broader strategy to increase national production to three million barrels per day by 2030.

Eyesan indicated that more than half of the awardees are expected to reach first oil within two years. She warned that licences would be reclaimed from operators who fail to meet their commitments, with recovery of inactive blocks occurring after three years onshore and five years offshore.

The commission is also enforcing annual work programme deadlines, with penalties for late submissions.