Nigeria’s state-owned Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited has exported its first cargo of the newly introduced Cawthorne crude grade, marking a key milestone in the country’s efforts to boost oil production and diversify export streams. The shipment, comprising about 950,000 barrels, departed on April 5, 2026, from the Cawthorne Floating Storage and Offloading vessel located offshore Bonny in Rivers State, with the cargo bound for the Netherlands, as reported by Reuters.
The Cawthorne blend, classified as a light sweet crude with an API gravity of 36.4, is comparable to Nigeria’s flagship Bonny Light and is valued for its high yields of petrol and diesel. Figures released by the company show the crude was loaded onto the MT Eburones vessel, reinforcing its entry into the global market as part of Nigeria’s expanding crude basket.
According to a statement from NNPC spokesperson Andy Odeh, the launch forms part of a broader strategy to unlock value from existing assets, improve export reliability, and enhance operational efficiency. ThisdayLive noted that the offshore facility supporting the shipment strengthens evacuation capacity from Oil Mining Lease 18, while Chief Executive Bashir Bayo Ojulari said the move aligns with national targets to scale crude production to 3 million barrels per day by 2030.
Official data shows Nigeria produced about 1.4 million barrels per day in March, well below its capacity, underscoring the need for new streams like Cawthorne alongside recent additions such as Nembe and Utapate. The introduction of the new grade signals a strategic push to stabilise output, improve foreign exchange earnings, and reinforce Nigeria’s position in an increasingly competitive global oil market.
