Nigeria is gearing up to shake up global oil markets with its new Cawthorne crude grade launching March 2026, marking its third major oil expansion since 2024. The light, sweet blend – comparable to Nigeria’s flagship Bonny Light – promises higher gasoline yields and could help the country finally meet its OPEC+ production targets. 💡
With the first cargoes loading March 24-25, this launch comes as Nigeria claws back from years of output slumps caused by pipeline vandalism and theft. Analysts say Cawthorne could nudge combined crude production from 1.65 million to 1.7 million barrels daily this year – crucial as OPEC data shows January production at 1.48 million bpd against a 1.5 million quota. 📈
The Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) is deploying a floating storage vessel with 2.2 million-barrel capacity to streamline exports from eastern Niger Delta fields. This follows 2024’s Utapate and 2025’s Obodo crude launches – part of a strategic push for bigger OPEC quotas and energy sector revitalization. 🔥
Energy watchers are calling this a potential game-changer: "Cawthorne’s 36.4 API gravity makes it refinery-friendly," says Kpler analyst Maria Chen. "If storage logistics hold, this could be Nigeria’s comeback season in global oil."
