NNPC Ltd has launched its new Cawthorne crude grade into the global market with a maiden shipment of 950,000 barrels bound for the Netherlands. The cargo, loaded on the MT Eburones vessel on April 5, 2026, marks the first export of the light, sweet crude, which has an API gravity of 36.4 and is comparable to Bonny Light. The shipment departed via the Cawthorne Floating Storage and Offloading (FSO) vessel, located offshore Bonny in Rivers State, enhancing crude evacuation from OML 18 and supporting Nigeria's energy security goals. The introduction of Cawthorne follows recent additions like Nembe and Utapate, reflecting NNPC Ltd's structured approach to optimise production and expand its export portfolio.
Group Chief Executive Officer Engr. Bashir Bayo Ojulari highlighted the milestone as part of a broader strategy to scale crude production to three million barrels per day and gas output to 12 billion cubic feet per day by 2030. Ojulari credited President Bola Tinubu's policy direction, sector reforms, and collaboration with OML 18 partners, the Nigeria Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), and other stakeholders for the achievement. He emphasised NNPC Ltd's focus on disciplined execution, value creation, and sustainable growth to strengthen Nigeria's position as a global energy supplier.
Ojulari's insistence on moving from potential to monetisation exposes the gap between Nigeria's resource wealth and its inability to convert assets into consistent revenue. If NNPC Ltd can sustain this export drive, it may finally shift the narrative from idle production targets to tangible market gains.
