BREAKING: Cross River Gains Full Accreditation as Oil-Producing State, Gets 3 Oil Blocks

Cross River State has recorded a major breakthrough in its long-running quest for recognition as an oil-producing state, following the emergence of its onshore petroleum assets within the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission’s (NUPRC) 2025 Licensing Round.

The development has opened a new chapter in oil and gas exploration in the state, with three petroleum blocks in the Calabar Flank—PPL 2A61, PPL 2A62 and PPL 2A45—included in the licensing process.

READ ALSO: BREAKING: Cross River Gains Full Accreditation as Oil-Producing State

The NUPRC has described the Calabar Flank as a historically underexplored geological province with significant potential for future petroleum discoveries.

The development is particularly significant for the Ikang, Calabar and Odukpani–Mbiabo petroleum corridors, where previous exploration activities produced wells, including Ikang-1 and the Calabar wells, as well as long-documented capped and abandoned wells around Mbiabo Ikot Offiong.

With the latest licensing cycle, these historical petroleum frontiers could now be subjected to modern seismic interpretation, subsurface modelling, exploratory drilling and contemporary oil and gas technologies.

At the NUPRC commercial bid conference held on July 21, 2026, 31 companies emerged winners of 37 oil and gas blocks. Saratoga emerged as the successful bidder for PPL 2A45, Clinton Oil Field for PPL 2A62, while Nikstallis won PPL 2A61.

Final awards have been made, while payment of the applicable signature bonuses is ongoing and said to be nearing completion in line with the provisions of the Petroleum Industry Act.

The successful companies are also processing their entry into Cross River State.

The development represents more than another licensing exercise for Cross River. It signals a shift in the state’s petroleum narrative from historical evidence and political agitation towards regulated investment, exploration and potential commercial production.

The participation of new investors in the Calabar Flank indicates that the area is increasingly being recognised within Nigeria’s upstream petroleum architecture as a legitimate frontier for oil and gas exploration.

The development is also being viewed as a significant milestone for Governor Bassey Edet Otu, whose administration has consistently pushed for recognition of Cross River’s oil-producing status and greater participation in Nigeria’s petroleum economy.

Governor Otu’s administration has continued to place the state’s petroleum claims within the national policy and development conversation, helping sustain pressure for recognition based on geological, technical and documentary evidence.

The latest development shifts the central question from whether Cross River possesses petroleum potential to how the state can responsibly develop those resources and convert them into revenue, investment, employment and sustainable development.

From Oil Status to an Oil Economy

The next challenge for Cross River will go beyond securing recognition as an oil-producing state.

The state will need to develop the institutional and economic structures required to capture value across the petroleum chain, including exploration, drilling, production, gas development, infrastructure, local content, technical skills, host-community development, environmental protection and petroleum-linked industrial investment.

The Ikang–Calabar–Odukpani–Mbiabo corridor could become an important component of this emerging energy economy.

From Petitions to Regulatory Validation

Cross River’s campaign for oil-producing-state recognition predates the current licensing round.

The state government has made a sustained series of petitions and representations to the President of Nigeria, backed by documentary, geological and technical evidence relating to onshore and offshore oil wells and derivation interests.

The state’s position has consistently been that its petroleum resources and verified well locations deserve appropriate recognition within Nigeria’s derivation and upstream regulatory framework.

The emergence of Cross River’s onshore petroleum potential within the NUPRC licensing architecture therefore represents a major milestone in that long-running campaign.

It also strengthens the state’s position as it pursues the next stage of its petroleum claim—offshore recognition.

Offshore Frontier Remains

Attention is now expected to shift towards the offshore component of Cross River’s petroleum claim.

According to the state’s technical position, more than 119 offshore well coordinates have been verified and are awaiting presidential consideration and approval.

If approved and formally incorporated into the relevant national petroleum and derivation framework, the offshore recognition could further strengthen Cross River’s position in Nigeria’s petroleum economy and potentially improve its revenue prospects.

The strategic implication is significant: while onshore validation provides an important foundation, offshore accreditation could complete a broader petroleum recognition being pursued by the state.

Cross River will therefore need to consolidate the current momentum through a coordinated petroleum investment and development strategy that links exploration with infrastructure, community development, local enterprise, technical manpower and long-term economic planning.

The wells of yesterday may have been capped, but Cross River’s petroleum future is being reopened.

The ultimate objective, however, should go beyond crude oil and gas production. The state must ensure that its petroleum resources translate into broad-based economic prosperity, sustainable development and improved opportunities for its people.