How Does Nigeria Plan to Reach 3 Million BPD While Tackling Oil Theft?

Nigeria, which wants to boost its output to 3 million barrels per day by 2025 has intensified its efforts to combat oil theft in the Niger Delta. Large scale oil theft has hampered government finances in recent years in Africa’s largest oil producer which depends on the commodity for over 90% of foreign exchange profits and around two thirds of state revenue.

According to official numbers, real production is approximately 1.8 million barrels per day (bpd) while the government projects that oil output would be around 2.06 million bpd in the budget for the following year. The Nigerian navy and the petroleum ministry started the Delta Sanity (OPDS) operation last year in an effort to combat oil theft. 

According to Chief of Naval Staff Emmanuel Ogalla, OPDS has now been strengthened in a second phase with attack helicopters, armed drones, more intelligence and other reinforcements that could raise oil production to 3 million barrels per day above the budgeted amount.

“If you look at where we were last year, when we launched this operation, we were about 1.4 million bpd. We have now gone to 1.8 million. I believe that with all the assets that we are bringing on board, we are definitely going to meet that target and surpass it,” Ogalla said in a statement on Tuesday after the operation’s flag-off in the southern oil hub of Port Harcourt in Rivers state.

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When he took office in August 2023, Nigeria’s average daily oil production was just little more than 1 million barrels per day, according to junior oil minister Heineken Lokpobiri. “Our target is to reach 3 million bpd by 2025 and we are confident that the second phase of OPDS will play a key role in achieving this milestone.”

The Navy received six gunboats from the Rivers State Government last month to strengthen its efforts to combat oil theft in the area.