NUPRC says 220 oil blocks awaiting concession

The Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) has dismissed claims that over 200 oil blocks in the country have been abandoned.

The commission’s statement follows a report that claimed that data from the regulator’s website showed that there are 220 open oil blocks scattered across the country’s onshore and offshore basins.

In a statement on Tuesday, the upstream regulator said reports suggesting the abandonment of 220 oil blocks misrepresented data recently published on its website.

According to the commission, the 220 blocks in question are not abandoned but are awaiting concession in line with the provisions of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) 2021.

The regulator clarified that of the 243 oil blocks, 220 are yet to be awarded but have not been abandoned.

“In the spirit of transparency as envisaged by the PIA, the commission published the concession status of 243 oil blocks,” the statement reads.

“It is important to clarify that 220 of those blocks are not abandoned. They are simply awaiting the conclusion of licensing rounds and fulfilment of statutory conditions before being awarded to concessionaires.

“This provision empowers the commission to conduct periodic licensing rounds and grant Petroleum Prospecting Licences (PPLs) and Petroleum Mining Leases (PMLs) to prospective investors.”

The regulator added that the blocks will be allocated through future bid rounds once relevant conditions have been met.

The commission further said recent reports suggesting that the blocks had been abandoned were based on a misinterpretation of information published on its website.

It urged the media to verify facts before publication and be mindful of national interest when reporting issues in the petroleum sector.

“The upstream regulator advised members of the public to visit its website https://www.nuprc.gov.ng/ for accurate information on its activities,” it said.

In December 2024, Gbenga Komolafe, chief executive officer (CEO) of the NUPRC, said the commission will launch another oil block licensing bid round in 2025, focusing on undeveloped fields.

The NUPRC CEO said the 2025 exercise would focus on “discovered and undeveloped fields, fallow assets”.

Komolafe also said the commission had started recovering idle assets based on the PIA’s ‘drill or drop’ provision.