The Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) has identified more than 788,000 barrels per day (bpd) of shut-in oil production across 63 operators for restoration, as Nigeria intensifies efforts to increase crude oil output.
Oritsemeyiwa Eyesan, Commission Chief Executive of the NUPRC, disclosed this at the national conference of the Association of Energy Correspondents of Nigeria (NAEC) in Lagos. She was represented by Patricia Temisan-Olatunde, Assistant Director, Corporate Services and Administration.
According to a post shared by the commission on X on Saturday, the initiative is part of efforts to unlock existing production capacity and support Nigeria’s oil output ambitions.
Shut-in production refers to oil wells that are temporarily not producing despite having the potential to do so. Such wells may be offline because of technical, operational, commercial or other constraints.
The commission said it was accelerating regulatory approvals and pursuing licensing rounds to stimulate near-term production growth.
Between January and September 2026, 77 wells were successfully re-entered, while 128 wells received approval for drilling, according to the NUPRC.
The commission identified three immediate priorities: restoring shut-in production, advancing major offshore projects towards final investment decisions (FIDs), and improving domestic gas supply.
“Our key priority is simple: restoring the more than 788,000 barrels per day of shut-in production identified across 63 operators; taking offshore projects valued at an estimated $30 billion to $50 billion to final investment decision; and raising domestic gas delivery from about two-thirds of the domestic obligation to full delivery,” the commission stated.
The planned restoration could provide a significant boost to Nigeria’s oil production if operators can resolve the constraints preventing the affected wells from producing. However, the identified 788,000 bpd represents targeted production capacity, not additional output already secured.
The NUPRC also plans to advance offshore projects with an estimated investment potential of $30 billion to $50 billion towards final investment decisions. Such decisions would mark a critical step towards committing capital to project development.
On the gas front, the commission aims to increase domestic delivery from approximately two-thirds of the required obligation to full compliance, strengthening supply to the domestic market.
The production recovery drive comes as the Federal Government seeks to attract more investment into the upstream petroleum sector through successive licensing rounds.
Assets offered in the NUPRC’s 2025 oil licensing round could add approximately 500 million barrels to Nigeria’s crude oil reserves and at least 300,000 bpd of crude oil and condensate production within five years, subject to successful development.
The commission has said the projected contribution could support Nigeria’s ambition to increase oil production to three million bpd by 2030.
The Federal Government also opened its 2026 oil and gas licensing round on Wednesday, offering 40 blocks across onshore, shallow-water and deepwater terrains to local and international investors.
The exercise follows the 2025 licensing round, in which 31 companies emerged as winners of 37 oil and gas blocks after a competitive bidding process.
Beyond awarding licences and approving drilling programmes, the challenge for regulators and operators will be to translate investment commitments into actual production.
Restoring shut-in wells, developing newly awarded assets and bringing major offshore projects to fruition could help expand output. The pace of progress, however, will depend on operators’ ability to resolve technical and commercial constraints, secure funding and execute their development plans.
