MON NOV 10 2026-theGBJournal| The Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) has urged oil and gas operators to explore Nigeria’s largely untapped sedimentary basins and turn them into commercially viable discoveries, adding that the country’s target of producing three million barrels of oil per day by 2030 depends on increased exploration and the bdevelopment of new oil and gas resources.
The Commission Chief Executive, Mrs Oritsemeyiwa Eyesan, gave the charge on Monday, in her goodwill message at the opening ceremony of the 44th Annual International Conference and Exhibition of the Nigerian Association of Petroleum Explorationists (NAPE), held in Lagos.
The CCE represented by the Executive Commissioner, Development and Production, Engr. Enorense Amadasu, spoke along the theme, ‘Unlocking More Barrels: Driving Reserves Growth through Exploration, Local Capabilities, & Adaptive Technology,’ emphasised that developing,’ called for renewed industry commitment to exploration, technological innovation and reserves growth.
The CCE identified the 2026 Licensing Round as a major opportunity to unlock fresh investment and exploration activities.
She said the Commission was deliberately keeping Nigeria’s acreage open to credible investors, particularly across frontier and underexplored terrains, to expand the country’s exploration footprint and stimulate new discoveries.
The NUPRC boss further challenged operators to deploy advanced technologies, including artificial intelligence, seismic data reprocessing, data analytics and near-field exploration, to improve subsurface understanding, unlock overlooked prospects and maximise recovery from mature fields.
The CCE reaffirmed the Commission’s commitment to supporting professional development and knowledge transfer through partnerships with NAPE, particularly its mentoring programmes, student chapters and technical engagements.
The NUPRC boss added that the fiscal incentives introduced for deep offshore and gas projects provide an enabling environment for technically sound exploration opportunities to translate into bankable investment decisions.
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