Nigeria will begin exporting a new light sweet crude grade, Cawthorne, in March 2026 as part of efforts to strengthen production capacity and expand its footprint in global oil markets, according to CNBC Africa.
The new stream will be marketed by Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, with first cargoes expected to load in the third week of March. Traders cited in the report said tenders are scheduled for March 24–25. With an API gravity of about 36.4, Cawthorne is comparable in quality to Nigeria’s established Bonny Light grade, making it attractive to refiners seeking strong gasoline and diesel yields.
The grade will be exported through the Cawthorne floating storage and offloading vessel, which has a storage capacity of roughly 2.2 million barrels and supports production from Oil Mining Lease 18 and surrounding fields in the eastern Niger Delta. MarketScreener noted that the additional stream could help lift Nigeria’s combined crude and condensate output from around 1.65 million barrels per day toward 1.7 million barrels per day.
The introduction of Cawthorne follows the rollout of other new grades in recent years and forms part of Abuja’s broader strategy to stabilize output, curb losses from pipeline disruptions and theft, and move closer to its OPEC+ production quota. BusinessDay says the new export stream signals renewed momentum in Nigeria’s upstream sector as authorities work to consolidate production gains and reinforce revenue flows.
Image Source: Nairametrics.com
