Nigeria: Project 1m Barrels Initiative Aims to Revive Abandoned Oil Wells – NUPRC

MaTaZ ArIsInG
Dallas, Texas

The Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) has stated that Project One Million Barrels Initiative, launched in 2024, is to actively ramp up crude oil production by reactivating dormant fields, fast-tracking regulatory approvals, and enhancing operational efficiencies across the upstream value chain.

The Commission Chief Executive (CCE), Engr. Gbenga Komolafe, who made the remark during the Maiden conference of the Energy Correspondents Association of Nigeria (ECAN) yesterday in Abuja, said with a clear target of increasing production to 2.5 million bpd by 2026, the initiative has already demonstrated strong momentum with current unreconciled daily production averaging 1.7 – 1.83 million bpd.

He stated that there are new frontier opportunities in onshore, shallow water and deep offshore blocks, especially in underexplored basins, enabled by its new licensing rounds regime.

“There are also other vast and compelling transformative opportunities particularly in natural gas development, gas-to-power initiatives, Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) projects, FLNGs and Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) transportation infrastructure, aimed at enhancing both export capacity and domestic energy supply.”

He said the commission has given approval of 37 new evacuation routes, coupled with intensified collaboration with national security agencies, has significantly curtailed crude theft and enhanced accountability across the industry.

“At the same time, the enforcement of the Domestic Crude Supply Obligation (DCSO) is securing consistent feedstock to local refineries, strengthening Nigeria’s internal supply chains and building long-term economic resilience. On the socio-developmental front, the Host Community Development Trust (HCDT) framework, fully operational via our HostComply digital platform, has created unprecedented transparency and direct community impact, fostering trust, reducing conflict, and reinforcing social licence to operate. Our broader digital transformation agenda is also reshaping regulatory engagement: streamlining approvals, improving investor clarity, and delivering faster and smarter oversight.”

He stated that while hydrocarbons continue to generate nearly 90% of Nigeria’s foreign exchange earnings and 70% of government revenue, he said its long-term viability of the energy sector depends on aligning growth with climate responsibility.

Earlier, the Chairman of ECAN, John Ofikhenua, said the theme of the conference, ‘Four Years of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA): Achievements, Gaps and the Way Ahead,’ is both timely and thought-provoking.

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He said the passage of the Act was not an accident but a triumph of persistence — a product of the vision and hard work of men and women like the late Dr. Rilwanu Lukman, Dr. Emmanuel Egbogah, and many others who laboured behind the scenes from the days of the Oil and Gas Sector Reform Implementation Committee.

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