Nigeria’s new crude oil shipments have been in the pipeline since October 2025, when the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, Sahara Group and other companies unveiled the first wholly owned 2.2-million-barrel capacity vessel near Bonny export terminal.
By Blue Africa News
Nigeria has made the first export of new light, sweet crude grade oil, a significant milestone in the country’s energy sector made possible by the first wholly-owned Floating Storage Vessel (FSO).
Earlier this week, the first shipment of 950,000 barrels from FSO Cawthorne, Nigeria’s newest oil terminal, was initiated following its licensing and gazettement by the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), marking the nation’s first new crude oil terminal in 50 years.
A Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) official confirmed the shipment as per a report published by hellenicshippingnews.com.
“NNPCL shipped the first cargo of the new Cawthorne crude at the weekend. A total of 950,000 barrels of crude was exported from FSO Cawthorne,” the official said, with reports indicating that the cargo was delivered to the Port of Sikka, in India.
India, like several other countries across the world are diversifying their crude to meet energy needs, owing to the Middle East war, pitying the United States of America (USA) and Israel on one hand, and Iran on the other.
The war is in its second month, disrupting the normal flow of fuel and gas through the Strait of Hormuz, with a possible end to the war currently not in sight.
Nigeria’s crude shipment has been in the pipeline since October 2025, when NNPCL, Sahara Group, Eroton E&P, and Bilton Energy Limited unveiled Nigeria’s first wholly owned 2.2-million-barrel capacity FSO vessel near Bonny export terminal.
The companies said the vessel christened Cawthorne is a world-class facility designed to enhance crude evacuation from Nigeria’s OML 18, an oil producing block covering over 1,000 square kilometres, located south of Port Harcourt.
Fitted with digital capabilities, the ultramodern vessel came in handy to drive operational flexibility, reduce carbon exposure from barge movements and enhance overall evacuation safety in Nigeria, the leading African crude oil producer.
Reacting to the latest development, Sahara Group reiterated the strategic role of FSO Cawthorne in strengthening Nigeria’s energy security through its reliable production, storage and evacuation infrastructure.
The company cited the advanced technologies deployed on FSO Cawthorne, noting that the facility incorporates cutting‑edge systems supported by artificial intelligence‑enabled monitoring, enhancing operational efficiency, asset integrity, safety performance and environmental stewardship.
“The successful commencement of crude lifting from FSO Cawthorne is a significant milestone for the OML 18 partnership and a strong demonstration of what can be achieved through shared vision, technical discipline and committed collaboration,” said Dr. Tosin Etomi, Head, Commercial and Planning at Asharami Energy (a Sahara Group Upstream company).
The milestone, Dr. Etomi noted, aligns with Sahara Group’s broader upstream strategy of building a resilient, scalable and responsible production portfolio anchored on strong partnerships, asset optimisation and long‑term value creation.
“The transition of FSO Cawthorne into active export is consistent with our upstream growth strategy, prioritising operational excellence, indigenous participation and infrastructure capable of sustainably supporting Nigeria’s production ambitions.”
He said the company’s expanding oilfield service capabilities are integral to its upstream vision, enabling smarter operations, improved efficiencies and responsible resource development, linking their success to sustainable social impact interventions.
“Sustainable social impact interventions and community participation have been key drivers of our upstream success, and we remain committed to aligning our operations with the highest global environmental, social and governance standards,” he added.
Experts say the achievement puts Nigeria on the global map not only for its crude oil, but also for its infrastructure.
“The FSO Cawthorne facility, licensed and gazetted by the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission provides storage and offtake services for crude produced from OML 18 and adjacent eastern Niger Delta assets. This milestone not only introduces a fresh export grade into the global market but also signals renewed confidence in Nigeria’s deep‑water and marginal‑field infrastructure,” said James Akwaji, an energy professional in a recent post on LinkedIn.
Oliver Ochieng, Blue Africa News