By Obiabin Onukwugha
The Nigeria Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission, NUPRC, says Nigeria’s gas production rose to 7.93bcf/d in May 2026, representing a 0.63% year-on-year increase from the 7.88bcf/d recorded in the corresponding period of 2025.
NUPRC in a statement on Monday, revealed that a breakdown of May’s production data shows that Associated Gas (AG) accounted for 3.96bcf/d, while Non-Associated Gas (NAG) 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,” the commission said.
On a month-on-month basis, the NUPRC noted that gas production declined marginally by 0.12% from 7.94bcf/d recorded in April.
It said 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% of total production. Meanwhile, sales to the domestic market increased from 2.03bcf/d to 2.18bcf/d, representing 26.6% of total gas utilisation,” the statement read.
The commission highlighted that the increase in domestic sales reflects ongoing efforts to meet local supply obligations, stating that “As the power, industrial, and gas-based manufacturing sectors continue to expand under the national gas agenda, the potential for further growth remains significant.”
According to the NUPRC, further analysis shows that 2.11bcf/d, representing 26.5% of total production, was allocated to own-use, while 0.57bcf/d, or 6.9%, 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,” the statement read.
