Trans Niger operations strengthen Nigeria’s 80% oil production recovery

Nigeria’s crude oil and condensate production has risen by approximately 80 per cent since May 2023, and the integrity of the Trans Niger Pipeline (TNP), one of the country’s principal crude evacuation channels, has been central to the gain. Pipeline Infrastructure Nigeria Limited (PINL), the wholly Nigerian infrastructure company responsible for the corridor, recorded zero infractions on the line in its May stakeholder engagement.

The Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Oil), Heineken Lokpobiri, disclosed the production figure at the Petroleum Ministry’s retreat in Abuja. Output that hovered around one million barrels per day (bpd) when the administration took office in 2023 has climbed to approximately 1.8 million bpd. “Today, we are doing approximately 1.8 million bpd. That is over 80 per cent improvement. But we are not where we want to be,” he said.

Policy reform and renewed investor confidence contributed to the recovery. Industry stakeholders identify the sustained fight against crude oil theft and pipeline vandalism as one of its most critical factors. For years, oil theft, illegal refining and sabotage forced operators to shut in production and declare force majeure on export terminals, cutting government revenue and weakening Nigeria’s standing with investors.

PINL operates across the full pipeline infrastructure cycle: engineering, procurement, construction, maintenance and security. On the TNP corridor, its work has centred on protecting the line through a surveillance network spanning 216 host communities, engaging local youths, traditional rulers, women’s groups and community leaders in the security of a national asset.

Continuous monitoring and rapid response have helped identify and dismantle illegal bunkering sites and crude theft points along the network, and supported the arrest of suspects and the destruction of illegal refining camps. With breaches reduced, operators have restored previously shut-in wells, contributing directly to rising national output.

PINL attributes the zero-infraction record to community partnership. By providing employment and involving residents in surveillance, the company has built local ownership of pipeline protection, reducing community-related disruptions and increasing cooperation between operators and host communities.

Lokpobiri noted that production remains below the national target of 2.5 million bpd, citing reserves of about 37 billion barrels of crude and 209 trillion cubic feet of gas as capacity yet to be developed. Along the TNP, sustained output continues to depend on the corridor remaining free of infractions