Why NUPRC Adjusted Acreage Sizes In Latest Concession Report

In early October 2025, the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) published its latest Concession Situation Report (CSR), a mandatory public document that details who owns what in Nigeria’s oil and gas sector.

The CSR lists all upstream petroleum licences, leases, acreage sizes, and ownership structures, fulfilling a legal requirement under Section 7(f) of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) 2021 to keep and publish public registers of petroleum titles and beneficial ownership.

But shortly after its release, some petitioners accused the Commission of reducing the sizes of certain oil blocks and concealing ownership details.

An investigation by THE WHISTLER, however, has found that these claims are baseless and that the NUPRC’s actions were entirely within the law.

Think of the CSR as a public record of Nigeria’s oil assets that holds them, how big they are, and whether they’ve been renewed, transferred, or revoked.

By law, the NUPRC must keep this data transparent and up-to-date. It’s not an optional publication; it’s a statutory obligation under the PIA.

Why Were Acreage Sizes Adjusted?

The heart of the controversy lies in changes to the reported acreage sizes of some oil blocks. Petitioners claimed these were done without due process.

But THE WHISTLER’s findings show the changes stem from legal and technical requirements under the PIA, not from arbitrary administrative action.

Here’s what happened:

Digital Mapping (Section 69 of PIA):

The NUPRC, working with the Surveyor-General of the Federation, is moving to a national grid-based mapping system.
When boundaries are recalculated using this new system, acreage figures can change even though the actual land area remains the same.

Mandatory Relinquishment (Section 88 of PIA):

Companies must give up parts of their contract areas that aren’t being developed or appraised. This ensures only active and viable zones remain under lease.

Conversion of Legacy Titles (Section 93(4) of PIA):

When old licences (OPLs and OMLs) are converted to new formats (PPLs and PMLs), holders must relinquish unselected portions. Those areas revert to the national acreage pool.

Unitisation (Section 80 of PIA)

If a petroleum reservoir stretches across two or more blocks, the Commission may require a joint development (unitisation). This often leads to redrawn boundaries that match the physical extent of the shared reservoir.

All these are legal processes, not administrative decisions.

What Happens to Relinquished Acreage?

When companies surrender undeveloped or uneconomic land, it goes back into Nigeria’s unallocated acreage pool, managed under Section 7(s) of the PIA.

These can later be re-awarded through transparent licensing rounds.

Were Ownership Details Hidden?

Some petitioners also alleged that the CSR hid or disguised the equity interests of certain Oil Mining Lease (OML) holders.

However, documents reviewed by THE WHISTLER showed that all ownership data in the CSR came from verified and legally approved sources, as required by Section 95 of the PIA.

That section forbids any transfer or sale of petroleum titles without the written consent of the Minister of Petroleum Resources.

Once approved, every such change is recorded in both the Concession Situation Report and the Beneficial Ownership Register (BOR).

What Is the Beneficial Ownership Register (BOR)?

The BOR is another transparency tool managed by the NUPRC. It shows the real people (not just companies) who ultimately own or control oil assets.

The register is accessible to authorised agencies, including the Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI), and is regularly updated to reflect new ministerial approvals.

Based on the above, the CSR’s acreage and ownership updates are lawful, data-driven, and PIA-compliant.

All changes stem from statutory processes like relinquishment, conversion, or unitisation — not from arbitrary action.

The NUPRC is fulfilling its transparency mandate, not violating it.

Why It Matters:

The Concession Situation Report is one of Nigeria’s most important transparency tools in the oil and gas industry.

Experts said that by aligning with the Petroleum Industry Act 2021, the NUPRC has ensured that the management of oil assets is open, accountable, and digitally verifiable.

This, they added, is a key step toward restoring public trust and aligning Nigeria with global extractive transparency standards.