Crude production rises to 1.436mbpd but remains below OPEC quota….
Nigeria recorded one of the strongest month-on-month crude oil production increases among OPEC members in November 2025, producing 1.436 million barrels per day (mbpd), according to the December 2025 OPEC Monthly Oil Market Report.
The figure represents an increase from 1.401 mbpd in October, with Nigeria adding 35,000 barrels per day, its most notable production gain in recent months.
Data from the report, compiled through direct communication between OPEC and its member countries, shows that despite the improvement, Nigeria’s output remains below its assigned quota of 1.5 mbpd.
The rise highlights gradual gains in upstream security, operational efficiency, and optimisation efforts across key oil-producing terminals, even as the country continues work to restore production to quota levels.
November marks the fourth consecutive month Nigeria has failed to meet its OPEC allocation, having last achieved its target in July 2025.
Nigeria’s crude output had declined sharply in August and September following maintenance shutdowns and industrial action. The modest rebound recorded in October and November reflects ongoing efforts to stabilise production, though challenges remain.
Meanwhile, the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Oil), Heineken Lokpobiri, has indicated that Nigeria will seek a higher production quota from OPEC, arguing that the current allocation no longer reflects the country’s true capacity.
Lokpobiri said Nigeria would push for an upward review to at least two million barrels per day, noting that crude output had fallen from over 1.5 mbpd in July to about 1.39 mbpd in September, underscoring the need for a more realistic benchmark.
OPEC Production Largely Flat
Despite Nigeria’s improvement, overall OPEC crude production remained largely flat in November, rising by just 39,000 bpd to an estimated 25.17 million bpd.
Saudi Arabia, the group’s largest producer, recorded the highest absolute increase, adding 48,000 bpd to reach 10.05 million bpd, as it continues to shoulder the largest share of voluntary output cuts.
Libya’s production rose by 14,000 bpd to 1.365 mbpd, maintaining its recovery despite persistent internal challenges. Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates also posted modest gains of 10,000 bpd and 8,000 bpd, respectively.
Venezuela sustained its gradual recovery, increasing output by 10,000 bpd to 1.142 million bpd, supported by incremental operational improvements.
In contrast, Iraq recorded the sharpest decline, cutting production by 40,000 bpd to 4.1 mbpd, amid renewed pressure from OPEC to improve compliance with agreed production limits. Congo also saw a slight drop of 8,000 bpd, producing 269,000 bpd.
The report noted that Iran, Gabon, and Equatorial Guinea did not submit direct production figures for the period.
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