The Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) has slashed the processing time for reviving idle oil wells from weeks to hours. This move is designed to capitalise on the surging global energy prices, which have climbed toward $100 a barrel.
Before now, the administrative paperwork to revive an idle oil well in Nigeria spanned two to six weeks. This bureaucratic bottleneck stalled the country’s ability to supply high-energy volumes to the global market. With oil prices now surging towards $100 per barrel due to Middle East conflicts, Nigeria aims to capture high demand from buyers currently pivoting towards the country.
Eniola Akinkuotu, the NUPRC spokesman, said that Nigeria is speeding up the processes and reducing timelines for permit issuance, adding that each permit has its own distinct timeline.
Reports indicate the regulator is now fast-tracking permits for well re-entry, barging, and crude evacuation at production facilities and export terminals. These three administrative hurdles long crippled Nigeria’s ability to convert proven reserves into export revenue.
Recently, Nigeria’s oil production plummeted to 1.3 million barrels per day (bpd) in February, the lowest level in 17 months. This followed maintenance work at a 225,000 bpd production facility operated by Shell Plc. The figure represents a sharp drop from the 1.459 million recorded in January, leaving Nigeria below its OPEC quota of 1.5 million.
Data shows that the country’s output has yet to recover to peaks above 2 million bpd, limiting Nigeria’s ability to capitalise on rising crude prices relative to its peers. Similarly, in 2022, Nigeria averaged 1.34 million barrels when oil rose to as much as $130 a barrel following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
The NUPRC approved approximately 500 permits to reopen dormant wells between late 2025 and the first quarter of 2026. This recent surge in applications comes primarily from Nigerian-owned independent operators, such as Tony Elumelu’s Heirs Energy and Seplat Energy Plc. While the government set a production target of 1.84 million bpd this year, the country has struggled to meet it.
However, easing the bureaucratic stigma is yielding enormous results. Seplat Energy reported restoring 49 idle wells as part of its 2025 restoration program and targets an additional 50 wells this year.
Osa Igiehon, the chief executive of Heirs Energies, also recounted the efficacy of reopening old wells:“From production of 27,000bpd at the time of takeover of OML17 in 2021, Heirs Energies quickly doubled the output to 50,000bpd within 100 days,” he said. “I just want to add that the simple thing was that when we came in, there were not up to 40 wells producing. In 100 days, we reactivated another 30 wells. So, we almost doubled the number of wells produced in 100 days. It was a very focused programme. And it was enabled by our highly experienced staff and the good relationship.”
