By Clenent Nwabuko
ABUJA (PRECISE POST) – The Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) has challenged oil and gas operators to intensify exploration of Nigeria’s largely untapped sedimentary basins, warning that the country’s ambition of producing three million barrels of crude oil per day by 2030 cannot be achieved without discovering and developing new oil and gas resources.
The Commission Chief Executive (CCE), Mrs Oritsemeyiwa Eyesan, gave the charge on Monday at the opening ceremony of the 44th Annual International Conference and Exhibition of the Nigerian Association of Petroleum Explorationists (NAPE) in Lagos.
Eyesan, who was represented by the Executive Commissioner, Development and Production, Engr. Enorense Amadasu, delivered the message against the backdrop of the conference theme: “Unlocking More Barrels: Driving Reserves Growth through Exploration, Local Capabilities, and Adaptive Technology.”
She emphasised the need for renewed industry commitment to exploration, technological innovation and reserves growth, noting that Nigeria must expand its exploration activities to achieve its ambitious production target.
The NUPRC chief identified the 2026 Licensing Round as a major opportunity to attract fresh investments, stimulate exploration activities and unlock additional hydrocarbon resources across the country.
According to her, the Commission is deliberately keeping Nigeria’s oil and gas acreage open to credible investors, particularly in frontier and underexplored terrains, as part of efforts to broaden the country’s exploration footprint and facilitate new discoveries.
Eyesan also urged operators to embrace advanced technologies, including artificial intelligence, seismic data reprocessing and data analytics, as well as near-field exploration, to improve subsurface understanding, identify overlooked prospects and maximise recovery from mature oil fields.
She stressed that technological innovation and the deployment of local capabilities remained critical to strengthening Nigeria’s reserves base and sustaining long-term production growth.
The CCE further reaffirmed the Commission’s commitment to promoting professional development, capacity building and knowledge transfer through strategic collaboration with NAPE.
She specifically highlighted the importance of supporting the association’s mentoring programmes, student chapters and technical engagements in developing the next generation of petroleum exploration professionals.
Eyesan also pointed to the fiscal incentives introduced for deep offshore and gas projects, saying they provide an enabling environment for technically viable exploration opportunities to attract investment and translate into bankable business decisions.
She urged industry stakeholders to take advantage of the available regulatory and fiscal opportunities to deepen exploration, grow reserves and strengthen Nigeria’s position in the global oil and gas industry.
