Nigeria’s gas production rises as domestic sales hit 2.18bcf/d — NUPRC report

Nigeria’s daily natural gas production rose to 7.93 billion standard cubic feet per day in May 2026, driven by increased domestic demand and the growing contribution of non-associated gas production, fresh industry data has shown.

The data revealed that gas production rose to 7.93bcf/d in May 2026, representing a 0.63 per cent year-on-year increase from the 7.88bcf/d recorded in the corresponding period of 2025.

A breakdown of May’s production data published on the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission website on Monday shows that Associated Gas accounted for 3.96bcf/d, while Non-Associated Gas contributed 3.98bcf/d.

This indicates that non-associated gas is increasingly carrying its own weight in the production mix and reflects the maturation of dedicated gas development initiatives.

On a month-on-month basis, gas production declined marginally by 0.12 per cent from 7.94bcf/d recorded in April.

Over the past five months, gas production has maintained a positive trajectory, rising from 7.80bcf/d in January to 7.81bcf/d in February, 7.85bcf/d in March, and 7.94bcf/d in April.

In terms of gas utilisation during the period, export sales declined from 4.13bcf/d to 3.07bcf/d, accounting for 40 per cent of total production. Meanwhile, sales to the domestic market increased from 2.03bcf/d to 2.18bcf/d, representing 26.6 per cent of total gas utilisation.

The increase in domestic sales reflects ongoing efforts to meet local supply obligations.

As the power, industrial, and gas-based manufacturing sectors continue to expand under the national gas agenda, the potential for further growth remains significant.

The report shows that 2.11bcf/d, representing 26.5 per cent of total production, was allocated to own-use, while 0.57bcf/d, or 6.9 per cent, was flared, underscoring the country’s commitment to ending routine gas flaring by 2030.

Year-to-date production remained firm at an average of 7.87Bscf/d, up from 7.82Bscf/d recorded in the first quarter (Q1), and increased further to 7.94Bscf/d across April and May 2026.

Further analysis revealed that Nigeria utilised about 92 per cent of the natural gas produced in the first four months of 2026, according to the latest industry data, indicating steady progress in the country’s efforts to curb gas flaring and maximise the economic value of its vast gas reserves.

Analysis of the figures showed that a total of 947.78 billion standard cubic feet of gas was produced between January and April 2026. Of this volume, 872.69 billion standard cubic feet were channelled towards domestic supply, exports and field operations, while about 57.34 billion standard cubic feet were flared.

The data, which was marked as provisional pending quarterly reconciliation, showed that Nigeria produced 241.71 billion standard cubic feet of gas in January, comprising 118.72 billion standard cubic feet of Associated Gas and 122.99 billion standard cubic feet of Non-Associated Gas.

Out of the January production volume, 59.09 billion standard cubic feet were consumed as field use, 65.58 billion standard cubic feet were supplied to the domestic market, while 96.24 billion standard cubic feet were exported. Overall, 220.91 billion standard cubic feet, representing 91.4 per cent of total production, were utilised.

In February, total gas production stood at 218.70 billion standard cubic feet. The industry utilised 203.42 billion standard cubic feet, accounting for 93 per cent of output, while 14.09 billion standard cubic feet, representing 6.44 per cent, were flared.

Similarly, total production rose to 243.28 billion standard cubic feet in March. Of this volume, 226.79 billion standard cubic feet, or 93.2 per cent, were utilised.

In April, Nigeria recorded total gas production of 238.08 billion standard cubic feet. The country utilised 221.57 billion standard cubic feet, representing 93.1 per cent of output, while gas flaring fell to 14.52 billion standard cubic feet, accounting for 6.1 per cent.

The data further showed that domestic gas supply remained strong throughout the review period. Domestic sales stood at 65.58 billion standard cubic feet in January, 59.83 billion standard cubic feet in February, 60.58 billion standard cubic feet in March and 60.88 billion standard cubic feet in April.

Export volumes also maintained significant levels, reflecting Nigeria’s position in the global gas market. The country exported 96.24 billion standard cubic feet of gas in January, 84.16 billion standard cubic feet in February, 98.49 billion standard cubic feet in March and 98.69 billion standard cubic feet in April.

The performance aligns with the Federal Government’s commitment to commercialise natural gas resources under the “Decade of Gas” initiative and reduce routine gas flaring, which has long been criticised for its environmental and economic implications.

Nigeria possesses one of Africa’s largest proven natural gas reserves, estimated at more than 200 trillion cubic feet. However, inadequate infrastructure, limited domestic utilisation capacity and decades of routine flaring have constrained the country’s ability to maximise value from the resource.