By Obiabin Onukwugha
The Nigeria Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) says it has approved 595 well re-entries, 145 new well-drilling operations and 39 Field Development Plans (FDPs) year-to-date in 2026 to boost oil production and strengthen energy security.
The Commission said Nigeria’s total rig count now stands at 100, with 46 currently active.
The Commission Chief Executive, Mrs Oritsemeyiwa Eyesan, disclosed this during a presentation at the management session of the 44th Annual International Conference and Exhibition of the Nigerian Association of Petroleum Explorationists (NAPE) in Lagos on Tuesday.
The conference was themed: “Energy Security in an Era of Global Disruption: Positioning Nigeria for Resilience, Competitiveness, and Prosperity.”
Eyesan, who was represented by Deputy Director, Basinal Administration, Ahmad Abdullahi, said the approvals were part of the Commission’s strategy to ensure regulatory processes support production growth and energy availability.
“Year to date, about 39 FDPs have been approved. About 145 new well-drilling approvals granted. Year to date, about 595 well re-entry approvals were granted. That goes to tell that as a commission, we have improved our approval time level, which again reduces costs that are being wasted or for projects to continue to wait for approval,” she said.
“From the regulator’s perspective, to ensure that our energy security is not threatened, we must ensure that we approve Field Development Plans and new well-drilling applications to meet our production targets and guarantee energy availability,” Eyesan added.
She noted that the rising number of approvals reflects improvements in the Commission’s approval processes, which have helped reduce waiting periods and costs incurred by operators.
