UGO AMADI, Houston
Chairman of the Petroleum Technology Association of Nigeria (PETAN), Engr. Wole Ogunsanya, said Nigeria is on the verge of achieving 1 million barrels per day of active refining capacity, adding that technology and partnerships were critical to ramping oil production to three million barrels per day in five years.
Ogunsanya stated this while speaking at the opening of the Nigerian Pavilion at the 2026 Offshore Technology Conference (OTC), NGR Center in Houston, Texas, USA
According to him, “There will be, very soon, up to 1 million barrels of refining operating capacity. We’re not talking about installed capacity now. Very soon, Nigeria will have 1 million barrels of refineries that are operating.”
He said the push to increase oil output was critical for both the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) quotas and domestic refineries now coming online. “This is telling us that the drive to ensure Nigeria increases production, not just for our quota in OPEC, but also for the refineries that we have in Nigeria.
He added that another 500,000 bpd of refining capacity remains idle, noting that the drive to increase oil and gas production was the most important thing for Nigeria. Ogunsanya acknowledged the challenge of boosting output after years of stagnation.
“In the industry, when you’ve not produced 2 million barrels of oil for the past 15 years, you cannot just wake up overnight to do that. You’re going to need a lot of equipment because some of the old equipment will be obsolete. You need new technology today that will make that production and exploration easier, safer, and cheaper”, he explained.
Ogunsanya said Nigeria’s participation at the conference demonstrates resilience despite global uncertainty and challenges.
“Even in these trying moments, not just in the United States but globally, we ensured Nigeria was represented,” Ogunsanya said.
“We engaged extensively to support delegates’ participation, and the outcome is encouraging.”
He noted that the strong presence of key stakeholders reflects a shared commitment to boosting production and strengthening the country’s energy security.
Ogunsanya added that Nigeria is approaching a major refining milestone, with projections of up to one million barrels per day in operational refining capacity, positioning the country to reduce import dependence and meet domestic demand more effectively.
Other top Nigerian oil and gas stakeholders present at the occasion were the Managing Director of Chevron Nigeria Limited, Jim Swartz; the Chief Financial Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC), Mr Adedapo Segun and the Chairman of Independent Petroleum Producers Group (IPPG), Adegbite Falade.
Others included the Chairman of Lee Engineering Group, Dr Leemon Ikpea; and Chairman of Energia Limited, Mr. Osten Olorunsola; Senior Technical Officer to Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB), Austin Uzoka, among others.
