Nigeria’s August Oil Output Rises 0.4% as Country Meets OPEC Quota for Fourth Month

By Benson Daniel

Nigeria’s crude oil and condensate production increased marginally in August 2026, reaching an average of 1,677,777 barrels per day, as the country maintained compliance with its Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) production quota for the fourth consecutive month.

The latest production figure represents a 0.4 per cent increase from the 1,671,456 barrels per day recorded in July, according to data from the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC).

In strict crude oil terms, excluding condensates, Nigeria produced an average of 1,500,190 barrels per day in August. This placed the country slightly above its 1.5 million barrels per day OPEC quota and extended the streak of quota compliance that began in May.

The distinction between crude oil and combined crude-and-condensate production is important because condensates are excluded when assessing Nigeria’s compliance with its OPEC crude production quota.

During August, combined daily production fluctuated between a low of about 1.64 million barrels and a peak of approximately 1.71 million barrels.

The modest improvement followed the resolution of operational challenges affecting the Single Buoy Mooring facility at the Erha field. The disruption had contributed to weaker production performance in the previous month, while the restoration of normal production and crude evacuation operations helped support the August recovery.

Production across most other producing assets remained relatively stable during the period, with operators continuing measures aimed at improving efficiency, maintaining the integrity of facilities and limiting operational disruptions.

Among the major production streams, Bonny Terminal recorded an average output of 320.04 thousand barrels per day, making it the highest contributor during the month. Forcados Terminal followed with 317.40 thousand barrels per day.

Qua Iboe recorded an average of 171.72 thousand barrels per day of crude oil and condensates, while Escravos posted 131.71 thousand barrels per day. Bonga ranked fifth among the leading producing streams, with an average output of 92.50 thousand barrels per day of crude oil.

The latest performance comes as Nigeria continues efforts to raise oil production and improve the reliability of its upstream petroleum assets. Sustained growth in output remains important to the country because crude oil continues to play a major role in government revenue and foreign exchange earnings.

However, the August increase remains modest, highlighting the continued effect of operational challenges and infrastructure constraints on Nigeria’s ability to maximise its oil-producing capacity.

The country has recorded significant fluctuations in production this year. Combined crude and condensate output climbed steadily through the first half of the year before declining in July as operational difficulties affected some assets.

The return of affected facilities to normal operations therefore provided some support for the August recovery.

Maintaining production above the OPEC quota for a fourth consecutive month could strengthen confidence in Nigeria’s efforts to improve upstream performance, but sustained increases will depend on resolving production bottlenecks, protecting infrastructure and ensuring reliable crude evacuation.

For an economy heavily dependent on petroleum revenues, the ability to consistently raise production while maintaining existing assets will remain central to efforts to strengthen public finances and improve foreign exchange availability.