Libya now Africa’s largest oil producer
LIBYA overtook Nigeria as the top African crude oil producer for March, data from the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) has shown.
According to the April 2024 Monthly Oil Market Report (MOMR), Libya recorded 1,236 million barrels per day (bpd) of crude production in March, up from 1,173 million bpd in February.
Libya recorded 1,236 million barrels per day (bpd) of crude production in March, up from 1,173 million bpd recorded in February.
Meanwhile, Nigeria recorded an output of 1,23 million barrels per day in March 2024, compared to 1,32 bpd in February 2024. Despite the drop in output by 6,8 percent, Nigeria retained its leadership position on the continent, producing 1,398 million bpd, while Libya produced 1,161 million bpd during the period.
“According to secondary sources, total OPEC-12 crude oil production averaged 26,60 mb/d in March 2024, 3 tb/d higher, m-o-m. Crude oil output increased mainly in IR Iran, Saudi Arabia, Gabon, and Kuwait, while production in Nigeria, Iraq, and Venezuela decreased.”
According to direct communications from OPEC, the recent drop in the country’s crude production can be attributed to a surge in pipeline vandalism and crude oil theft incidents in its oil-producing region.
Experts weighed in, saying that this has led to a decline in business activity and subdued consumer spending, high inputcost inflation, and lower employment levels compared with the previous year.
In other news, the Dangote oil refinery in Nigeria has started supplying petroleum products to the local market, a major step in the country's journey towards energy self-sufficiency. Devakumar Edwin, an executive at Dangote Group, confirmed the arrival of diesel and jet fuel shipments in the local market. — Business Insider Africa