Nigeria’s natural gas production climbed to 2.71 trillion standard cubic feet (scf) in 2025, marking an increase from the 2.5 trillion scf recorded in 2024, according to fresh data released by the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission.
The report shows that 942.7 billion scf, representing about 34.8 per cent of total output, was exported during the year. Domestic gas sales stood at 780.6 billion scf, while 776.6 billion scf was used for field operations. In total, about 2.5 trillion scf of gas was utilised in 2025, translating to a utilisation rate of 92.4 per cent. Associated gas production accounted for 1.456 trillion scf, while non-associated gas contributed 1.25 trillion scf, reflecting a near-even split between both sources.
Production peaked in July at 250.9 billion scf, the highest monthly figure for the year. May and June also recorded strong outputs of 244.4 billion scf and 239.0 billion scf respectively. However, output fell sharply in September to 198.3 billion scf, the lowest monthly total in 2025. Production rebounded to 221.1 billion scf in October before easing slightly to about 212.5 billion scf in both November and December. The commission noted that figures for the final quarter remain provisional pending reconciliation.
Export volumes outpaced domestic sales by more than 162 billion scf, underscoring the continued importance of international markets. December recorded the highest monthly export volume at 101.9 billion scf, followed by November at 90.7 billion scf and July at 90.3 billion scf. September posted the lowest export volume at 45.4 billion scf. On the domestic front, sales were strongest in May at 73.0 billion scf and remained above 69 billion scf in June and July. The weakest months were November and December, which recorded 56.2 billion scf and 56.1 billion scf, respectively.
Despite the high utilisation rate, gas flaring remained significant. A total of 204.0 billion scf was flared in 2025, accounting for 7.54 per cent of total production. September recorded the highest flare rate at 9.05 per cent, with about 18.0 billion scf flared. In volume terms, July had the highest flared amount at 18.3 billion scf, while December posted the lowest at 15.4 billion scf.
With exports accounting for nearly 35 per cent of total output and about 38 per cent of utilised gas, the figures highlight the dominant role of external markets in Nigeria’s gas sector. However, the volume of gas flared indicates that substantial resources remain untapped.
In October, the NNPC/Heirs Energies OML 17 Joint Venture signed Gas Flare Commercialisation Agreements under the Nigerian Gas Flare Commercialisation Programme, aimed at capturing flare gas for power generation, industrial use, cooking gas and compressed natural gas. The initiative is designed to curb routine flaring and convert wasted gas into economic value.
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