Group chief executive officer (CEO), Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited, Mele Kyari, says the country’s oil production volume is close to 1.7 million barrels per day (bpd).
Kyari spoke in Lagos at the weekend at a stakeholders’ engagement between the Nigerian Association of Petroleum Explorationists (NAPE) and the NNPC.
On May 14, the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) said Nigeria’s average daily crude oil production rose to 1.28 million bpd in April.
According to Kyari, Nigeria has the potential to produce two million barrels per day but “it is not possible today”.
He said this is due to oil theft and pipeline vandalism in the Niger Delta region.
Kyari said there is a need to fight insecurity in the oil and gas sector to increase output.
