Delta state has again emerged as Nigeria’s top producer of crude oil and condensates, maintaining a wide lead over other states and reinforcing its central role in the country’s hydrocarbon economy.
This is according to the latest data released by the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), which covered crude oil and gas production figures from November 2023 to September 2024.
The report showed that Delta alone accounted for nearly 100 million barrels of oil and condensate within the 11-month period. Specifically, the state produced 99.9 million barrels, by far the largest contribution by any state during the review window.
This figure represented over a third of Nigeria’s total attributed crude and condensate production of 295.34 million barrels during the same period.
Following Delta in oil production were Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, and Rivers states, which have traditionally formed the backbone of Nigeria’s petroleum output. Akwa Ibom produced about 60.32 million barrels, while Bayelsa delivered roughly 53.2 million barrels during the period under consideration.
In the same vein, Rivers was only slightly behind Bayelsa with 50.83 million barrels. These four states alone accounted for nearly 90 per cent of the country’s oil output, underlining their significance in the sector.
However, Lagos State, which had been listed among Nigeria’s oil-producing states following marginal production from the Aje Field in the Dahomey Basin since 2016, recorded zero production of crude oil and gas within the period under review.
Last year, the Lagos state government disclosed that the sum of N3.911 billion had been realised since it became an oil-producing state, but noted that production had been hampered due to challenges faced by the company managing its exploration.
At the time, the state’s Commissioner for Energy and Mineral Resources, Biodun Ogunleye, said that there was a disagreement among the owners of the asset, OML 113. Following in that line, the NUPRC data showed that Lagos produced zero oil during the 11-month period, underscoring the fact that the pending issues on the oil asset remained unresolved.
Outside the traditional powerhouses of the Niger Delta, oil production in other states was relatively modest. Ondo State produced 8.71 million barrels of crude oil, while Edo State contributed 7.76 million barrels. Imo State followed with 6.32 million barrels. Anambra and Abia states produced 4.77 million barrels and 3.41 million barrels respectively.
The gas production data presented a slightly different picture in terms of leading states. Rivers State topped the chart with a massive 391.3 billion standard cubic feet (scf) of gas produced, even though it placed fourth in crude oil output. Bayelsa followed with 341.2 billion scf, while Delta again ranked high with 318.2 billion scf of gas.
Akwa Ibom also remained a significant contributor to Nigeria’s gas production, accounting for 211.9 billion scf. Edo State, despite its relatively modest oil volumes, showed strong gas potential, producing 95.4 billion scf, well ahead of other states in its production category.
Besides, Ondo State added 27.1 billion scf, while Anambra and Imo produced 7.4 billion scf and 6.4 billion scf respectively. Abia contributed 4.46 billion scf of gas, while Lagos also recorded zero, consistent with its performance in oil.
In total, Nigeria produced 1.4 trillion standard cubic feet of gas during the review period, reinforcing the country’s considerable gas reserves and production capacity. The combined gas output from Rivers, Bayelsa, Delta, and Akwa Ibom accounted for over 85 per cent of the national total.
The NUPRC’s state-by-state attribution system is designed to ensure transparency and equity in the distribution of revenue from hydrocarbon resources. It also serves as the foundation for monthly remittances to RMAFC, which uses the figures to calculate the derivation entitlements and allocations to oil-producing states under Nigeria’s revenue sharing formula.
In all, the NUPRC figures re-affirmed the strategic role of the Niger Delta in Nigeria’s oil and gas industry, even as production challenges persist across many fields.
The data further underscored the urgency of unlocking potential in underutilised regions and improving upstream investments, particularly in gas infrastructure and marginal fields that could boost output and revenue.
The impressive output from Delta reflects the concentration of oil fields and infrastructure within the state, as well as its relatively stable upstream operations. Delta is home to major assets operated by multinational and indigenous companies, including Shell, Chevron, and NNPC E&P Limited (NEPL), among others.
By Emmanuel Addeh
