The Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC)
In the beginning. Petroleum matters were handled by the Hydrocarbon Section of the Ministry of Lagos Affairs, which reported directly to the Governor-General.
The Unit kept records on matters relating to exploration, and importation of petroleum products. It also enforced safety and other regulations on matters which were then mostly products importation and distribution. As the activities of the petroleum industry expanded, the Unit was upgraded to a Petroleum Division within the Ministry of Mines and Power.
1971 A new body – The Nigerian National Oil Corporation (NNOC) – was created to handle direct commercial operational activities in the oil industry on behalf of the Federal Government, while the Department of Petroleum Resources in the Federal Ministry of Mines and Power continued to exercise statutory supervision and control of the industry.
1975 The Department was upgraded to a Ministry and named the Ministry of Petroleum and Energy which was later renamed the Ministry of Petroleum Resources.
1977 Decree 33 of 1977 merged the Ministry of Petroleum Resources and the Nigerian National Oil Corporation (NNOC) to form the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), in order to conserve the then scarce manpower in the oil industry. This decree also created the Petroleum Inspectorate as an integral part of the NNPC, and entrusted it with the regulation of the petroleum industry.
1985 The Ministry of Petroleum Resources was re-established, but the Petroleum Inspectorate remained within the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation until March, 1988 when the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation was re-organised. By this re-organisation, the Petroleum Inspectorate was excised from the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, and transferred to the Ministry of Petroleum Resources as the Technical arm and renamed the DPR.
2021 The Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) was signed by President Muhammadu Buhari in 2021
Vision: Be Africa’s leading Regulator.
Mission: Promoting sustainable value creation from Nigeria’s Petroleum Resources for shared prosperity.
Our Core Values
- Professionalism
- Responsiveness
- Ownership
- Integrity
What we do
NUPRC has the statutory responsibility of ensuring compliance to petroleum laws, regulations and guidelines in the Upstream Oil and Gas Sector. The discharge of these responsibilities involves monitoring of operations at drilling sites, producing wells, production platforms and flow stations, crude oil export terminals, and all pipelines carrying crude oil, natural gas, while carrying out the following functions, among others:
- Supervising all Upstream Petroleum operations being carried out under licences and leases in the country.
- Monitoring Upstream Petroleum operations to ensure that are in line with national goals and aspirations including those relating to Natural Gas Flare elimination & monetization, Domestic Gas Delivery Obligations and Domestic crude oil supply obligations.
- Ensuring that Health Safety& Environmental regulations conform with national and international best oil field practice.
- Maintaining records on upstream petroleum operations, particularly on matters relating to petroleum reserves, production/exports, licences and leases.
- Advising Government and relevant Government agencies on technical matters and public policies that may have impact on the administration and upstream petroleum activities.
- Processing upstream petroleum – related applications for leases, licences and permits.
- Ensure timely and accurate payments of Rents, Royalties and other revenues due to the government from upstream petroleum operations.
- Maintain and administer the National Data Repository (NDR).
For more info, visit www.nuprc.gov.ng
