Tantita Pipeline Operations Drive Nigeria’s Q2 Oil Export Earnings to $9.39bn

By Sandra Chukwunyere 

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

The development has renewed attention on the role of pipeline surveillance in protecting critical oil infrastructure and maintaining the flow of crude from producing fields to evacuation points.

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

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

Exports of refined petroleum products also climbed by 66.24 per cent to $3.94 billion, while non-oil exports increased by 25.30 per cent to $3.12 billion.

The country’s crude oil imports, meanwhile, fell from $1.39 billion in Q1 to $580 million in Q2.

The improved export performance contributed to a significant increase in Nigeria’s current account surplus, which rose to $7.54 billion in Q2, compared with $4.49 billion in the preceding quarter and $5.17 billion recorded in Q2 2025.

Tantita’s pipeline surveillance role

Tantita Security Services Nigeria Limited (TSSNL), led by High Chief Government Oweizide Ekpemupolo, popularly known as Tompolo, has continued to participate in the surveillance and protection of oil pipelines and other critical petroleum assets in the Niger Delta.

Working with government security agencies and other stakeholders, the company’s operations are focused on preventing pipeline vandalism, illegal oil tapping and other activities that can disrupt crude production and evacuation.

Industry stakeholders have linked the reduction in pipeline disruptions and improved security of oil infrastructure to greater stability in crude production and evacuation.

President General of the Niger Delta Progressive Alliance, Nse Victor Udoh, said pipeline surveillance had become an important part of protecting the wider petroleum value chain.

Udoh said the protection of pipelines was critical because disruptions to crude transportation could affect production, refinery operations, exports and government revenue.

He said sustained surveillance and rapid response to pipeline breaches had helped improve operational stability across the Niger Delta.

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

According to him, reliable crude flows provide producers, refineries, exporters and investors with greater certainty in planning their operations.

Oil production records improvement

The stronger export performance came amid an increase in Nigeria’s crude oil production.

Figures from the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) showed that total oil output rose from about 1.48 million barrels per day in February to 1.735 million barrels per day in June 2026.

Industry stakeholders have attributed the improvement to a combination of enhanced security, increased production activity, efforts to reduce crude theft and improved operational efficiency.

The protection of pipelines remains particularly important because disruptions can result in production shutdowns, losses of crude and delays in evacuation.

Tantita’s pipeline surveillance activities have therefore formed part of broader efforts by government and private security operators to protect oil-producing assets and improve the reliability of crude evacuation.

Investment remains key to growth

While improved security has supported operational stability, stakeholders say Nigeria must also attract fresh investment into its oil and gas industry if production and export earnings are to remain on an upward path.

Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Brittania-U, Catherine Uju Ifejika, highlighted the importance of investing in mature oil 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 field to begin production at about 2,300 barrels per day in 2010 before output increased and became more stable.

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

The commission has continued to encourage investors to participate in the development of Nigeria’s upstream assets as the country seeks to increase production and maximise its hydrocarbon reserves.

Deepwater projects gather momentum

Nigeria’s efforts to revive investment in deepwater projects have also received a boost 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, in addition to 140 million standard cubic feet of gas per day.

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

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

The Federal Government has meanwhile introduced new incentives for deep offshore oil and gas projects as part of efforts to improve the competitiveness of Nigeria’s fiscal regime and attract new investment.

Sustaining the gains

Industry experts say Nigeria’s efforts to increase oil production will require a combination of exploration, development of existing fields, enhanced recovery from mature assets, improved security and infrastructure upgrades.

They also stressed the need to accelerate major projects capable of adding new production capacity to the country’s oil output.

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

With crude oil still accounting for a significant share of Nigeria’s export earnings, stakeholders say protecting pipelines and other critical infrastructure remains important to maintaining production and ensuring that crude reaches domestic and international markets.

The Q2 2026 export figures, alongside the increase in oil production, have therefore placed renewed focus on security, investment and operational efficiency as Nigeria seeks to sustain growth in its petroleum sector.