Nigeria’s NNPCL begins exporting new Cawthorne crude grade to Europe

The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) has commenced exports of a new crude oil grade, Cawthorne, as it seeks to boost production and strengthen its position in global markets.

The maiden cargo of the new blend was shipped on April 5 aboard the “MT Eburones” vessel bound for Rotterdam, the Netherlands, “a significant milestone in the company’s drive to increase Nigeria’s crude oil production and expand its portfolio of globally competitive export streams,” NNPCL chief corporate communications officer Andy Odeh said in a press release on Wednesday.

Cawthorne blend crude has an API gravity of 36.4, placing it in the light, sweet category, comparable to Nigeria’s flagship Bonny Light grade, and making it attractive to refiners due to its high petrol and diesel yields.

NNPCL said the maiden cargo, estimated at 950,000 barrels (bbl), was exported via the Cawthorne floating storage and offloading (FSO) vessel located offshore Bonny in Rivers State.

“The cargo was exported via the Cawthorne Floating Storage and Offloading vessel, which is strategically located offshore Bonny. The facility enhances crude evacuation from OML 18 and strengthens Nigeria’s export reliability, operational efficiency, and overall energy security,” Odeh said.

Group chief executive Bashir Bayo Ojulari said the development reflects a shift towards commercial efficiency and value creation.

“This milestone reflects the direction we have set for [NNPCL], one anchored on execution, partnership, and value creation. We are moving decisively from resource potential to resource monetisation, ensuring that every asset delivers measurable commercial outcomes,” he said.

“The successful export of the Cawthorne crude grade is not an isolated achievement; it is part of a broader, deliberate strategy to grow production, deepen market relevance, and strengthen Nigeria’s position as a reliable global energy supplier,” he said.

Nigeria is targeting crude output of 3mn barrels per day (bpd) and gas production of 12bn cubic feet per day (bcfd) by 2030 as part of its energy strategy.

The introduction of Cawthorne follows recent additions to Nigeria’s crude slate, including Nembe and Utapate, as the country seeks to diversify export streams beyond established grades such as Bonny Light, Qua Iboe, Forcados and Escravos, The Punch writes.

Nigeria has faced declining output in recent years due to oil theft, pipeline vandalism and underinvestment, prompting reforms and partnerships aimed at restoring production and improving efficiency across the value chain.

Output peaked at around 2.5mn barrels per day (bpd) in the mid-2000s, with a record monthly high of about 2.496mn bpd in 2005, according to OPEC data compiled by CEIC.

Production has since fluctuated, falling to a low of roughly 1.015mn bpd in 2022, before recovering to around 1.5mn–1.7mn bpd in 2025, based on data from the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) and international energy statistics.