How Tantita ‘s Pipeline Operations Boosted Nigeria’s Oil Export Earnings to $9.39Bn

How Tantita’s Pipeline Operations Boosted Nigeria’s Oil Export Earnings to $9.39bn

By Babatunde Aremu

Nigeria’s crude oil export earnings rose to $9.39 billion in the second quarter of 2026, amid increased crude production, improved pipeline security and stronger performance across the oil and gas sector.

The development has drawn attention to the role of pipeline surveillance in protecting critical oil infrastructure and ensuring the steady movement of crude from producing fields to export terminals.

According to provisional Balance of Payments statistics by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Nigeria’s total goods exports rose to $20.08 billion in Q2 2026, compared with $15.56 billion in the first quarter.

Crude oil exports increased by 15.78 per cent to $9.39 billion, while natural gas exports rose by 40.15 per cent to $3.63 billion.

The country also recorded a 66.24 per cent increase in refined petroleum product exports, which rose to $3.94 billion, while non-oil exports increased by 25.30 per cent to $3.12 billion.

At the same time, crude oil imports declined from $1.39 billion in Q1 to $580 million in Q2.

The stronger export performance helped push Nigeria’s current account surplus to $7.54 billion in Q2, up from $4.49 billion in the preceding quarter and $5.17 billion recorded in Q2 2025.

Tantita and pipeline security

Tantita Security Services Nigeria Limited (TSSNL), led by High Chief Government Oweizide Ekpemupolo, popularly known as Tompolo, has continued to play a role in pipeline surveillance and the protection of oil assets in the Niger Delta.

The company works alongside government security agencies and other stakeholders to protect pipelines and other critical infrastructure against vandalism, illegal oil tapping and activities that could disrupt crude production and evacuation.

Industry stakeholders say sustained pipeline surveillance has become increasingly important as Nigeria seeks to raise oil production and reduce losses associated with crude theft and infrastructure breaches.

President General of the Niger Delta Progressive Alliance, Nse Victor Udoh, said pipeline protection was fundamental to the stability of the petroleum value chain.

According to him, the security of pipelines affects the ability of producers to maintain output and move crude to refineries and export terminals.

“Without secure transportation channels, production targets falter, refining plans collapse, exports decline, and fiscal projections become unreliable,” he said.

Udoh said improved pipeline surveillance and faster responses to breaches had helped create greater operational stability in the Niger Delta.

He added that predictable crude flows could also give producers, exporters and investors greater confidence when planning their operations.

Production gains

The increase in export earnings came as Nigeria recorded higher oil production during the year.

Data from the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) showed that total oil output increased from about 1.48 million barrels per day in February to 1.735 million barrels per day in June.

The improvement has been associated with several factors, including increased production, enhanced security of oil assets, efforts to reduce crude theft and improved operational efficiency.

Pipeline security remains particularly important because breaches can force operators to shut down production and can lead to crude losses and disruptions in evacuation.

Tantita’s surveillance activities have therefore formed part of the broader security measures aimed at protecting petroleum infrastructure across the Niger Delta.

Investment needed to sustain growth

Beyond security, stakeholders have stressed the need for greater investment in Nigeria’s oil and gas sector.

Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Brittania-U, Catherine Uju Ifejika, highlighted the importance of investing in mature assets, citing the company’s Ajapa field.

She said more than $400 million was invested after Brittania-U acquired the asset from Chevron, including additional drilling and the deployment of a Floating Production, Storage and Offloading (FPSO) facility.

According to her, the investment enabled the Ajapa field to commence production at about 2,300 barrels per day in 2010 before output increased and became more stable.

The NUPRC has also said recent incentives for offshore oil and gas projects could attract significant new investment into Nigeria’s offshore energy sector.

The commission has continued to encourage investment in upstream assets as the country seeks to increase production and maximise its hydrocarbon reserves.

Deepwater projects

Nigeria’s drive to attract investment into deepwater projects has also gained momentum with the advancement of the proposed Bonga Southwest/Aparo development in Oil Mining Lease 118.

NNPC Limited and its partners have executed agreements aimed at moving the project closer to a Final Investment Decision.

The project is expected to attract billions of dollars in investment and has a projected peak production capacity of about 175,000 barrels of oil per day, alongside 140 million standard cubic feet of gas per day.

The partners include Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Company Limited, Esso Exploration and Production Nigeria (Deepwater) Limited and Nigerian Agip Exploration Limited.

The project partners have completed the Pre-Front End Engineering Design phase, paving the way for further engineering activities, subject to the necessary approvals.

The Federal Government has also introduced the Deep Offshore Oil and Gas Projects Incentives (Tax Remission) Order, 2026, aimed at improving the competitiveness of Nigeria’s deepwater fiscal regime and attracting fresh investment.

Sustaining Nigeria’s oil growth

Industry experts say Nigeria will need to combine exploration with aggressive field development, enhanced recovery from mature assets, improved infrastructure and sustained security if it is to maintain higher production levels.

They have also called for faster development of major oil and gas projects capable of adding new production capacity.

Projects such as Bonga North, Bonga Southwest/Aparo, Zabazaba and Etan are expected to contribute to future production as they progress.

With crude oil continuing to account for a substantial share of Nigeria’s export earnings, stakeholders say protecting pipelines and other oil infrastructure will remain important to sustaining production, improving government revenue and ensuring reliable crude evacuation.

The Q2 export figures therefore highlight the combined importance of production, infrastructure security and investment as Nigeria seeks to consolidate gains in its oil and gas sector.