Crude oil earnings by the Federal Government increased by about N449.93bn in the months of December 2023 and January 2024, an analysis of data in the latest reports on Nigeria’s oil production, on Sunday, showed.
Although the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission has yet to release oil production figures for February 2024, its latest data so far indicates that Nigeria’s oil output maintained a northward movement in the months of December 2023 and January 2024.
The country’s oil production (excluding condensates) increased by 3.88 million barrels in December 2023, when compared to what it pumped in the preceding month of November.
Data from the Country Economy, a global economic and statistical firm, put the average cost of Brent, the benchmark for crude oil, at $77.63/barrel in December 2023.
Therefore by increasing production by 3.88 million barrels and multiplied by $77.63/barrel, the country earned additional $301.2m in December, representing N244.79bn at the official average exchange rate of N812.7/$ in December 2023.
Again, Nigeria produced 2.81 million more barrels of crude oil (excluding condensates) in January 2024 than what was produced in December 2023, as the average cost of Brent crude in January was $80.12/barrel.
This therefore implies that the Federal Government grew its crude oil earnings in January by $225.14m. At the average official exchange rate of N911.19/$ in January, the $225.14m translates to N205.14bn.
A summation of the increased earnings in December 2023 (N244.79bn) and January 2024 (N205.14bn) showed that the Federal Government earned additional N449bn during the two-month period.
Oil production reports of the NUPRC showed that in November 2023, the total volume of crude (excluding condensates) produced in that month was 37.51 million.
With condensates, the total volume was 43.98 million barrels in November 2023. The daily crude oil output for the same month was 1.25 million barrels, while with condensates it was 1.47 million barrels.
In December 2023, the total crude oil output was 41.39 million barrels, while with condensates it was 48.14 million barrels in the last month of 2023.
The upstream oil sector regulator stated that the daily crude oil production in December 2023 was 1.34 million barrels, while with condensates it was 1.55 million barrels.
The production of crude by oil firms in Nigeria increased in January 2024. The total crude oil production volume in January this year was 44.2 million barrels, while with condensates it was 50.93 million barrels.
For daily production, crude oil output was 1.43 million barrels in January 2024, while with condensates it was 1.64 million barrels.
The Federal Government, through the NUPRC, recently announced a new crude oil production target for Nigeria of 2.5 million barrels per day, in a bid to grow the foreign exchange fortunes of the country.
The Chief Executive, NUPRC, Gbenga Komolafe, had said, “The commission has been working assiduously to ensure that the Petroleum Industry Act is effectively implemented for growth in oil and gas reserves as well as achieving the national average daily production target set at 2.5 million barrels of oil and condensate per day in the near term.
“The oil and gas reserves in Nigeria represent 30 per cent and 34 per cent of the African oil and gas reserves respectively. Our vast reserves hold immense potential for sustainable development and prosperity.
“Although the actual national production currently averages 1.33 million barrels of oil per day and 256, 000 barrels of condensate per day, the national technical production potential currently stands at 2.26 million bpd while the current OPEC quota is 1.5 million bpd.”
He noted that closing the gap between the actual oil production and the technical potential presents a window of investment opportunities for investors and a significant opportunity for Nigeria to unlock additional revenue streams, address the current foreign exchange gap and strengthen economic resilience.
Komolafe stated that aside from hydrocarbon resources, Nigeria is blessed with potentials for green and blue hydrogen, solar, wind, biomass and critical minerals for development of clean energy technologies as well as growing population predominated by young people.
“With a coastline along the Gulf of Guinea, a market size of more than 200 million people projected to reach between 390 million and 440 million people in 2050, Nigeria represents hope for Africa.
“Interestingly, about 70 per cent of the Nigerian population are under 30, and 42 per cent are under the age of 15, representing a huge economic asset.
“Indeed, Nigeria’s potentials are derived from its human, natural and material resources which must be mobilised to propel her on a path of economic growth and development and for her sustainable energy future,” the NUPRC’s boss stated.
Olaitan Ibrahim