Nigeria has 220 unallocated oil blocks across its onshore and offshore basins, according to data from the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), even as the country grapples with rising debt and crude supply shortages that are affecting local refining.
The deep offshore region accounts for the highest number of these open blocks—59 in total—reflecting the vast untapped hydrocarbon potential in one of Nigeria’s most capital-intensive and technically demanding terrains.
Other regions with significant numbers of idle blocks include the Benue Trough with 41, the Chad Basin with 40, Sokoto Basin with 28, and Bida Basin with 16. Even established oil-producing regions like the offshore Niger Delta still have seven unlicensed blocks, while 13 remain in the Anambra Basin and eight each in the Benin Basin and onshore Niger Delta.
NUPRC noted that 24 blocks have been awarded under the 2022/2023 deepwater mini bid round and the 2024 licensing round. The agency emphasized Nigeria’s deepwater region as rich in hydrocarbon resources, citing successful discoveries and production in fields such as Abo, Agbami, Akpo, Egina, Bonga, Usan, Erha, and Aje.
The report added that deep offshore exploration is gaining renewed interest from international oil companies amid divestments and asset restructuring, though the terrain remains largely underexplored due to its complexity and high costs.
