The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC) will commence export of a new light, sweet crude grade known as Cawthorne from March 2026.
According to a report by Reuters, an NNPC spokesperson confirmed the development, describing it as part of efforts to increase output and consolidate Nigeria’s recent recovery in crude oil production.
The move aligns with Nigeria’s broader strategy to boost production after years of constraints caused by pipeline vandalism, crude theft, and unrest in oil-producing regions.
It also follows the launch of two other new grades — Obodo in 2025 and Utapate in 2024 — as Africa’s top oil exporter seeks to strengthen its standing within OPEC+.
According to sources familiar with the matter, Cawthorne crude is scheduled for export in the third week of March and has an API gravity of 36.4, making it similar in quality to Nigeria’s Bonny Light, which is prized for high gasoline and diesel yields.
A trader disclosed that NNPC had issued a tender last week for cargo loading between March 24 and 25.
Analysts at Kpler noted that the new grade is expected to be exported via the Floating Storage and Offloading (FSO) vessel Cawthorne, which has a storage capacity of about 2.2 million barrels. The vessel is designed to enhance transportation and production from Oil Mining Lease (OML) 18 and nearby assets in the Eastern Niger Delta.
Kpler estimates that, based on storage capacity, Cawthorne could increase Nigeria’s crude and condensate output from roughly 1.65 million barrels per day (bpd) to around 1.7 million bpd for the remainder of the year.
