Nigeria’s state oil firm, Nigerian National Petroleum Company, is set to start exporting a new light, sweet crude called Cawthorne in March.
Nigeria’s state oil firm, Nigerian National Petroleum Company, is set to commence exports of a new light, sweet crude named Cawthorne in March, a company representative confirmed, signalling further progress in production recovery for Africa’s largest oil producer.
The development is anticipated to strengthen Nigeria’s role within the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), as the country aims to increase its production target amid rising output. This follows the launch of two other crude grades Utapate in 2024 and Obodo in 2025 as Nigeria, already near its OPEC+ quota, seeks to raise its production ceiling within the alliance.
Cawthorne, which is expected to see its first export shipment in the third week of March according to a source familiar with the plan, has an API gravity of 36.4. This places it in a similar quality range as Bonny Light, one of Nigeria’s leading crude grades.
With a sulfur content of roughly 0.14% well below the 0.5% typical of many sweet crudes it is valued for lower refining costs, reduced corrosion risks, and a smaller environmental footprint.
Exports are projected to boost daily production. NNPC issued a tender last week for loading on March 24–25, according to traders. Analysts from Kpler noted that Cawthorne will be transported using the Floating Storage and Offloading (FSO) vessel Cawthorne, which has a storage capacity of 2.2 million barrels and will carry crude from Oil Mining Lease (OML) 18 and surrounding eastern Niger Delta fields.
The addition of this grade could increase Nigeria’s crude and condensate output from roughly 1.65 million barrels per day to about 1.7 million barrels per day for the remainder of the year, depending on operational efficiency and market demand.
Nigeria’s OPEC+ crude quota is 1.5 million bpd, with January production recorded at 1.48 million bpd, according to OPEC statistics.