Nigeria’s state-owned energy company, Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC), will begin exporting a new light, sweet crude grade known as Cawthorne from March, as reported by Business Insider Africa. The move signals continued recovery in output from Africa’s largest oil producer.
According to company sources, the first cargo of Cawthorne is scheduled for loading in the third week of March. The new grade has an API gravity of 36.4, placing it in a similar category to Nigeria’s flagship Bonny Light crude. With a sulfur content of about 0.14%, Cawthorne is considered a premium low-sulfur crude, making it attractive to international refiners due to lower processing costs and reduced environmental impact.
Strengthening Nigeria’s OPEC Standing
The development is expected to reinforce Nigeria’s position within OPEC as the country pushes for a higher production target under the OPEC+ framework. Nigeria’s current crude quota stands at 1.5 million barrels per day (bpd), and the country produced approximately 1.48 million bpd in January, according to OPEC data.
Cawthorne joins two recently introduced grades — Utapate (2024) and Obodo (2025) — as part of broader efforts to increase official output capacity and diversify export streams.
Export Logistics and Production Outlook
The crude will be exported via the Floating Storage and Offloading (FSO) vessel Cawthorne, which has a storage capacity of around 2.2 million barrels. The vessel is expected to facilitate production from Oil Mining Lease (OML) 18 and nearby assets in the eastern Niger Delta.
Industry analysts suggest the addition of the new grade could lift Nigeria’s crude and condensate supply from about 1.65 million bpd to roughly 1.7 million bpd for the remainder of the year, depending on operational stability and global demand.
The launch of Cawthorne reflects Nigeria’s ongoing strategy to stabilise output, strengthen its market share, and remain competitive in the global crude oil market.
