Nigerian crude oil sourcing & international trade
A sourcing service for qualified international buyers — refiners, trading companies and public-sector purchasers — seeking legitimate Nigerian crude supply, and an open, sourced reference on the grades, markets, rules and counterparties involved.
For qualified commercial enquiries. Every figure on this site is dated and attributed to its source; where evidence is missing, we say so.
An intelligence resource and a structured route to supply
Nigerian crude is sold through a small number of legitimate channels, in cargoes of around a million barrels, to counterparties that can pass serious due diligence. This site explains that reality plainly — and gives buyers who fit it a professional way to begin.
Crude grade intelligence
Assay-based profiles of Bonny Light, Qua Iboe, Forcados, Escravos, Bonga and newer grades, with conflicting figures shown side by side.
Grade databaseDestination markets
Which countries and refiners actually buy Nigerian crude, from central-bank, EIA and importer statistics.
Market intelligenceHow it is really sold
NNPC term contracts, equity producers and spot tenders — and what "allocation" does and does not mean.
Read the guideScam and verification centre
Documented fraud patterns and the independent tools for checking companies, vessels, documents and bank instruments.
Verify a counterpartyRules and regulations
Export permits, the Advance Cargo Declaration and UIN, domestic supply obligations and export documents, from primary sources.
Compliance guideTrading tools
Barrels-to-tonnes conversion using each grade's density, and a cargo value calculator.
Open toolsNigerian grades at a glance
Light, low-sulphur and distillate-rich — but far from uniform. API gravity ranges from under 18° to over 47°. Each grade loads at its own export terminal and is priced as a differential to Dated Brent.
Most offers of Nigerian crude on the internet are not what they claim
In 2017 the head of NNPC's crude marketing division said scammers were behind about 98% of the documents then circulating in crude sale transactions.6 NNPC's published tender terms state that letters of introduction are not entertained and that it deals only with authorised officers of the bidding company, not through agents.7
We built the verification centre so that a buyer can test any offer — including ours — against public, independent sources.
What genuine sales look like
FOB a named terminal, priced against Dated Brent, paid by letter of credit, to counterparties with audited accounts.
A procurement-grade enquiry, not a contact form
Prepare
Use the buyer centre to confirm grade, volume, delivery basis and the company documents a serious counterparty will expect.
Submit a purchase requirement
One structured submission covering company, requirement, delivery, commercial preferences and compliance. You receive a reference number immediately.
Review and qualification
We review every submission. Where a requirement is credible, we request KYC documentation and, with our Nigerian partner, seek to identify suitable supply from lawful sellers. Any availability is subject to the seller's confirmation.
Commercial process
Terms are agreed between principals under formal contracts. Payment and security arrangements are subject to transaction structure, banking requirements, compliance and applicable law.
Who this is for
- Refineries and end users with a defined crude requirement
- Established trading companies acting as principal
- Government and public-sector purchasers
- Mandated representatives who can evidence their authority
We do not publish cargo availability, price lists or "allocations", and we do not ask buyers for upfront fees.
Submit purchase requirementSources
- Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission — August 2026 production status release Regulatory
- Central Bank of Nigeria 2025 Annual Report, as reported by Vanguard — FG's crude export earnings dip 14% to $31.54bn in 2025 — CBN Secondary sourceGovernment statistics relayed by the press; shares are by export value and record the declared destination.
- Argus Media — Argus Crude methodology and specifications guide (West Africa typical qualities and cargo sizes) Industry'Typical' values used for price assessment, not a laboratory assay.
- NNPC Ltd — NNPC/Aiteo joint venture launches Nembe crude oil grade Company-reportedPress release; no laboratory assay has been published.
- NNPC Ltd — NNPC Ltd launches Cawthorne crude onto global market, exports first cargo to Netherlands Company-reportedPress release; sulphur content not stated; no assay published.
- NNPC (statement by the Crude Oil Marketing Division, reported by Ripples Nigeria) — Public beware: scammers behind 98% of documents in crude oil marketing — NNPC Secondary sourceA 2017 statement by an NNPC official about documents circulating in the market — not an audited statistic.
- NNPC Ltd — Invitation to tender for the sale and purchase of Nigerian crude oil grades (term-contract template) OfficialTemplate from the 2021–2023 contract cycle. Thresholds for later cycles have not been located.
- Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission — Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Advance Cargo Declaration Regulations 2024 (S.I. No. 70 of 2024) RegulatoryGazette No. 65, Vol. 111. Listed on NUPRC's gazetted register with no amendment as at September 2026.
- Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission — Guidelines for the Operationalisation of the Advance Cargo Declaration Regulation (Version 1) Regulatory