Nigeria awards 37 oil blocks to 31 firms in 2025 licensing round

The Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) announced that 31 companies have been awarded 37 oil and gas blocks in the 2025 Licensing Round held in Abuja. The round attracted 143 pre‑qualified firms, which submitted about 200 technical and commercial bids for 37 of the 50 blocks on offer; the remaining 13 blocks were returned to the national licensing pool.

Blocks were spread across the Niger Delta (on‑shore, shallow‑water and deep‑offshore), the Benin, Anambra, Chad basins and the Benue Trough, marking the first time frontier basins have drawn such strong investor interest. Winners include SSonic Petroleum, Dutchford E&P, Attabanson Global, Rosem Energy, Pivot‑GIS, Network E&P, LexOil, Gupsco Energy, Saratoga, Blackrock Holdings and many others.

Under the Petroleum Industry Act, successful bidders must pay required signature bonuses and obtain ministerial approval within 90 days, or risk forfeiture under a “drill‑or‑drop” policy. NUPRC chief Oritsemeyiwa Eyesan warned that evaluators faced intimidation during the process but maintained the exercise’s credibility. The awards are aimed at helping Nigeria reach its target of 3 million barrels per day by 2030, potentially adding about 500 million barrels to reserves and increasing daily output by at least 300,000 barrels within three years.