NUPRC Enforces Drill-or-Drop Rule in 2025 Bid Round

NUPRC Enforces Drill-or-Drop Rule

Nigeria has ended the era of “paper oil” by enforcing strict relinquishment rules for exploration licences. The Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) confirmed that operators must now develop assets or lose them. This “drill-or-drop” provision, enshrined in Section 94 of the Petroleum Industry Act, targets companies that previously held blocks for decades without investment….

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Federal Government Suspends Petrol Imports to Protect Local Refiners

Federal Government Suspends Petrol Imports to Protect Local Refiners

The Federal Government has suspended the issuance of petrol import licences for a second consecutive month, signalling a hard pivot toward domestic self-sufficiency. This move, enforced by the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), marks the first significant application of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) provisions that restrict imports unless local supply fails…

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OPL 245 Settlement to Inject 150,000bpd into National Output

OPL 245 Settlement to Inject 150,000bpd into National Output

The 15-year legal stalemate over Oil Prospecting Lease (OPL) 245 has finally ended, clearing the way for a massive deepwater expansion. Bayo Ojulari, Group Chief Executive Officer of NNPC Limited, confirmed on Saturday that a historic settlement between the Federal Government, Eni, and Nigerian Agip Exploration (NAEL) will now trigger the Zabazaba-Etan project. This development…

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OPL 245 Settlement to Inject 150,000bpd into National Output

NNPC Boss: Money Can’t Fix the Refineries

The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited recently shifted the narrative regarding our nation’s dormant refineries. The  Chief Executive Officer, Engr. Bayo Ojulari attributed the persistent failure of these facilities to weak internal operational structures. This admission contradicts the long-standing public belief that insufficient funding stalled the necessary rehabilitation work. Leadership within the state-owned oil firm…

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