The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited says it will commence export of a new light, sweet crude grade known as Cawthorne from March, as part of efforts to strengthen Nigeria’s oil output.
A spokesperson for Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited said the introduction of the new grade is expected to support the recent recovery in crude production. The move forms part of Nigeria’s broader push to raise output levels, which have been hampered in recent years by insecurity and crude oil theft.
Nigeria, which is already producing close to its output limit under OPEC+, is among countries seeking a higher production target within the group. Cawthorne crude, due for export in the third week of March, has an API gravity of 36.4, making it comparable in quality to Bonny Light, a grade valued for its high yields of gasoline and diesel.
Market sources said NNPCL last week issued a tender for the new grade for loading between March 24 and 25. Analysts at Kpler said the crude is expected to be exported through the Floating Storage and Offloading vessel Cawthorne, which has a storage capacity of 2.2 million barrels.
The vessel is expected to support crude evacuation from Oil Mining Lease 18 and nearby assets in the Eastern Niger Delta. Based on the vessel’s storage capacity, Kpler estimates that the new grade could raise Nigeria’s crude and condensate supply from about 1.65 million barrels per day to around 1.7 million barrels per day for the rest of the year.
Nigeria’s crude oil production quota under OPEC+ is 1.5 million barrels per day, while actual output stood at about 1.48 million barrels per day in January, according to OPEC data.
The Cawthorne grade adds to other crude blends introduced by Nigeria in recent years, including Utapate in 2024 and Obodo in 2025.
