At least 19 oil licences in Nigeria’s upstream petroleum sector have stated expiry dates falling within 2026, according to the latest Nigerian Upstream Concession Situation Report released by the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC).
The August 2026 report lists 12 Petroleum Prospecting Licences (PPLs) and seven Oil Prospecting Licences (OPLs) among concessions with stated 2026 expiry dates. The affected acreage cuts across onshore, continental shelf and offshore areas.
Among the PPLs is PPL 220, held by Navante Exploration and Production Limited, with a stated expiry date of October 16, 2026. PPL 232, held by Kizi Oil and Gas Services Limited, is due to expire on November 16, while PPL 235, operated by Oceangate Engineering Oil & Gas Limited, has a November 1 expiry date.
The report also lists PPL 223 with a November 30 expiry date, PPL 251 with a November 16 deadline and PPL 266, held by AOS Orchard Petroleum Development Limited, with a November 21 expiry date.
Several other licences in the 2026 category had stated expiry dates earlier in the year. PPL 277, PPL 275 and PPL 254, for instance, are listed with February 14 expiry dates. On the OPL side, affected concessions include OPL 228, OPL 289, OPL 809, OPL 810, OPL 276, OPL 215 and OPL 2010.
Importantly, the expiry dates do not mean the 19 licences have been revoked. The NUPRC report indicates that some concessions are undergoing conversion or are being considered for optional tenure extensions. It does not announce a blanket cancellation of the affected licences.
The development comes as Nigeria seeks to increase upstream investment and crude oil production by putting greater pressure on operators to develop their awarded acreage.
The regulator has increasingly emphasised enforcement of licence obligations under the Petroleum Industry Act, including the principle commonly described as “drill or drop”, which seeks to prevent companies from holding petroleum acreage indefinitely without meaningful exploration or development.
The licence expiry schedule also coincides with fresh acreage awards. In July 2026, NUPRC issued 19 Petroleum Prospecting Licences to 12 successful awardees, covering deep offshore, shallow-water and continental-shelf assets.
For Nigeria, the turnover of upstream acreage presents both a regulatory challenge and an investment opportunity. Extensions and conversions could preserve existing projects and investment, while licences that ultimately return to the government could become available for new investors.
The immediate outcome for each affected concession will depend on its individual regulatory status, operator performance and compliance with applicable tenure and development requirements. The NUPRC report, however, establishes that the 19 licences have stated 2026 expiry dates, not that they have all been cancelled.
