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NNPCL Launches Utapate Crude to Increase Nigeria’s Oil Exports

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The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) has officially launched a new crude oil grade, the Utapate crude oil blend, to enhance the country’s foreign currency earnings and increase its presence in the global energy market.

NNPCL spokesperson Olufemi Soneye made the announcement in a statement on Wednesday.

This significant development was unveiled at the Argus European Crude Conference, held in London, where the Managing Director of NNPC E & P Limited (NEPL), Nicholas Foucart, emphasized that the introduction of Utapate marks a milestone for Nigeria’s crude oil exports.

Foucart shared that production of the Utapate Field began in May 2024, and since then, the output has grown rapidly to 40,000 barrels per day (bpd) with minimal downtime.

He highlighted that five cargoes of the new blend have already been exported, mainly to Spain and the East Coast of the United States.

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Additionally, two more cargoes are scheduled for shipment in November and December 2024, further boosting Nigeria’s crude oil exports.

One of the key reasons for Utapate’s success in the international market is its highly attractive qualities, according to Foucart.

The Utapate crude is sourced from Oil Mining Lease (OML) 13, which is fully operated by NEPL and its partner Natural Oilfield Services Ltd (NOSL), a subsidiary of SEEPCO Ltd. OML 13 holds significant reserves, including 330 million barrels of crude oil, 45 million barrels of condensate, and an impressive 3.5 trillion cubic feet (tcf) of gas.

This rich reserve underpins the potential for future growth in Nigeria’s crude oil production.

Looking ahead, Foucart outlined plans to ramp up production from the current 40,000 barrels per day to 50,000 bpd by January 2025.

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By June 2025, production is expected to reach between 60,000 and 65,000 bpd, with a longer-term target of 80,000 bpd by the end of 2025.

Lawal Sade, Managing Director of NNPC Trading Limited, explained that the pricing structure of the Utapate blend is similar to that of the Amenam crude.

This is because both are light sweet crudes, highly valued by refiners worldwide for their low sulphur content and efficient yield of high-quality refined products.

The API gravity and other properties of Utapate make it an attractive option for global refineries.


 

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Dangote Refinery Reduces Cooking Gas Price to Less Than ₦800

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The Dangote Refinery has once again shifted the energy market in Nigeria, this time by slashing the price of cooking gas to below ₦800 per kilogram, the cheapest the country has seen in years.

For months, Nigerians have battled with skyrocketing LPG costs that often ranged between ₦1,000 and ₦1,300 per kilogram, forcing many families to turn back to kerosene or even firewood. During a recent facility tour, Africa’s richest man, Aliko Dangote, promised to change that story. Now, he appears to be making good on his word.

The refinery, which produces around 22,000 tonnes of LPG daily, has enough capacity to influence prices across the country. By selling directly and avoiding multiple layers of middlemen, the refinery has pegged its ex-depot price at roughly ₦815/kg, undercutting other suppliers whose prices float between ₦825 and ₦900/kg.

If this trend holds, a standard 12.5kg cylinder could now sell between ₦10,200 and ₦11,000, compared to the ₦13,500 to ₦14,000 many Nigerians currently pay. For households struggling with high living costs, this is no small relief.

Many citizens have welcomed the move, praising Dangote for making clean energy more accessible. “People should not be cooking with firewood anymore,” he said, urging Nigerians to embrace safer and healthier alternatives.

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But not everyone is pleased. Some long-standing gas marketers worry about being pushed out of the business. Industry players argue that while cheaper gas is welcome, Dangote’s dominance could edge smaller distributors aside and tilt the market too heavily in his favor.


 

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Police Raid YG Entertainment Headquarters Over G-Dragon Copyright Case

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South Korean police have carried out a raid on YG Entertainment’s headquarters in Seoul as part of an ongoing investigation into alleged copyright infringement involving K-pop star G-Dragon and the company’s founder, Yang Hyun Suk.

The case traces back to a complaint filed in late 2024 by a composer identified only as “Mr. A,” who claims a song he created was used without his consent more than a decade ago. According to him, the track was reworked into a medley performed during G-Dragon’s 2009 concert and later included on his 2010 live album Shine a Light.

This is the second police raid on YG in connection to the matter, with investigators said to be gathering documents and questioning individuals linked to the song’s production. Authorities have not released further details, but confirmed the investigation is still active.

YG Entertainment has rejected the accusations, insisting the issue stems from a misunderstanding. They explained that during the 2009 concert preparations, there were two completely different songs sharing the same title, which may have caused the confusion.


 

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Femi Otedola’s Shocking Account of How Banks Turned on Him After Business Collapse

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Popular Nigerian Billionaire, Femi Otedola, reveals how some banks treated him once his business failed in 2009.

The businessman revealed in his soon to be released book “Making It Big” and shared details of when he went bankrupt. He shares that it had to do with the sudden increase in dollars and explained how jt affected him greatly.

He then adds concerning banks “One moment, I was the darling of the banks, who did everything in the world to court me, do business with me, give me loans, take deposits from me.”

“They would send bewitching ladies to make their offers more convincing, and now I was waking up to the sight of hefty, barrel-chested men standing menacingly in front of my gate, waiting for the moment I’d step out of my compound.”


 

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