Nigeria’s upstream petroleum regulator says it has approved about 145 new well-drilling operations so far in 2026, alongside approximately 595 well re-entries and 39 field development plans.
The figures were presented in Lagos on 10 November at the annual conference of the Nigerian Association of Petroleum Explorationists. They cover approvals granted year to date, rather than decisions made on the day of the presentation.
The Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission said the permissions form part of its efforts to support production, attract investment and strengthen energy security. Its chief executive, Oritsemeyiwa Eyesan, was represented at the conference by Ahmad Abdullahi, a deputy director at the commission.
Approvals are not production figures
The three categories describe different kinds of activity. New well-drilling approvals concern proposed drilling, while re-entry involves going back into an existing well. Re-entering a plugged well can serve different purposes, including bringing it back into use or recovering equipment. The announcement did not specify the purpose of each re-entry approval.
Field development plans concern the wider development of petroleum resources. The commission’s development department handles applications for these plans and monitors their execution, as well as processing applications for drilling and well re-entry.
The permissions do not establish that every approved operation has begun or been completed, or that the wells are producing oil or gas. The announcement did not provide a breakdown of completed work or the amount of production attributable to the approvals.
The regulator also said about 46 rigs had been actively involved in drilling year to date. A rig is equipment used for drilling; the figure is a measure of activity rather than a count of new wells brought into production.
Regulatory changes and investment
Eyesan said the commission had improved the time taken to process applications. In the regulator’s account, shorter waits reduce costs incurred when projects are held up and help operators move towards production targets. The announcement did not give a separate measure of average approval times.
The sector operates under Nigeria’s Petroleum Industry Act, signed into law in 2021. The legislation provides a framework for the industry that includes regulatory and fiscal arrangements as well as provisions relating to host communities.
For an operator, the route from exploration to commercial production involves several stages. A prospecting licence permits exploration and appraisal drilling within its terms. A qualifying licence holder seeking a mining lease after a commercial discovery must meet applicable conditions and obtain approval for the relevant field development plan.
In a separate announcement on 6 October, the commission launched a 2026 licensing round offering 40 oil and gas blocks on land and in shallow and deep water. That round concerns opportunities to seek petroleum rights; it is not the same measure as the drilling and development approvals reported at the Lagos conference.
Safety, communities and security
The commission also has responsibilities beyond assessing whether work can proceed. Its health, safety, environment and community department reviews environmental assessments and management plans, monitors aspects of waste handling and supports the implementation of host-community development trusts.
Those responsibilities are part of the wider framework for upstream operations. The announcement of the approval totals did not identify the individual projects or assess their environmental or community effects.
On security, Eyesan said the commission had introduced an Advanced Cargo Declaration programme and coordinated surveillance with the Nigerian National Petroleum Company, the Nigerian Navy and private security firms. The aim, as described by the regulator, is to discourage crude oil theft while making legitimate production more attractive.
The commission’s latest totals therefore offer a snapshot of permissions issued and drilling activity reported during the year. They do not by themselves show how much additional oil or gas the approved work will ultimately yield.
