Nigeria is set to expand its crude oil portfolio with the launch of a new light, sweet grade called Cawthorne, scheduled for export in March, the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) Limited confirmed. This move comes as part of the country’s broader strategy to increase production, which has long been limited by unrest and crude theft in key oil regions.
The new grade, Cawthorne, has an API gravity of 36.4, closely matching the quality of Nigeria’s benchmark Bonny Light, prized for its high yields of gasoline and diesel. NNPC’s spokesperson stated that the grade is expected to be exported during the third week of March, with the company recently issuing a tender for the shipment on March 24-25.
Analysts at Kpler have highlighted that the Cawthorne crude will be shipped using the Floating Storage and Offloading (FSO) vessel Cawthorne, which has a capacity of 2.2 million barrels. The vessel will primarily handle production from Oil Mining Lease (OML) 18 and nearby assets in the Eastern Niger Delta, improving both transportation and overall crude output from the region.
With the addition of Cawthorne, Nigeria’s crude and condensate supply could increase from approximately 1.65 million barrels per day (bpd) to around 1.7 million bpd for the remainder of the year. This marks a significant recovery for Africa’s top oil exporter, which is already operating near its OPEC quota of 1.5 million bpd. In January, Nigeria pumped 1.48 million bpd according to OPEC data.
Cawthorne follows other recent Nigerian crude launches, including Obodo in 2025 and Utapate in 2024. The ongoing introduction of new grades demonstrates Nigeria’s push to strengthen its production capacity and position within OPEC, while addressing long-standing challenges in the Niger Delta oilfields.
source: The nation