EATL, NUPRC’s Joint Move to Curb Oil Losses, Boost Revenue

Nigeria recorded a major win in its efforts to curb oil losses, increase federation’s revenue and boost local technically capacity with the successful execution of pioneering gravimetric flow metering calibration facility in Eket, Akwa Ibom State, marking a significant milestone in the country’s drive to boost transparency and accountability in crude oil production, writes  Peter Uzoho

Last week, indigenous Nigerian company, Engineering Automation Technology Limited (EATL) and the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) showcased the country’s growing technical capabilities with the launch of state-of-the-art and Nigeria’s first gravimetric flow metering calibration facility in Eket, Akwa Ibom State.
Conceived and built by EATL, the facility was executed under strict oversight of the NUPRC with support from the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) and other stakeholders, ensuring certificates are recognised for statutory reporting and compliance.
The modern facility signifies a major win for Nigeria as it will help to improve the accuracy of crude oil measurement, reducing revenue leakages and disputes arising from contentious figures. With precise measurement, Nigeria can ensure it receives its rightful share of royalties and taxes, strengthening its revenue management.
The project — the first of its kind in West Africa — addresses a long-standing industry challenge: uncertainty in crude measurement.
For decades, Nigeria’s oil sector has been faced with the challenge of inaccurate metering which has contributed to disputes, revenue leakages and reliance on overseas laboratories for calibration.
Previously, operators in the Nigerian upstream petroleum sector depended on foreign calibration services, incurring shipping costs, delays and foreign-exchange outflows.
The local plant now in place retains that value within the domestic economy as it is expected to create jobs, develop technical hubs, and deepen domestic expertise in petroleum measurement technology.
According to the promoters, the facility can calibrate turbine, ultrasonic, Coriolis, electromagnetic and positive displacement meters — critical devices used to determine volumes of crude flowing through pipelines and export terminals — thereby improving operational efficiency, regulatory compliance and production optimisation.
NUPRC noted that accurate measurement will curb revenue losses, strengthen reserves management and free public funds for infrastructure, healthcare and education, while positioning Nigeria as a regional hub for metering excellence.
Industry analysts expect the development to improve transparency in royalties and taxes, reduce crude theft disputes and enhance investor confidence through verifiable production figures. The facility is also projected to develop technical hubs within the host community, create hundreds of skilled jobs and deepen domestic technical expertise in petroleum measurement technology.

A Transformstive Leap Forward

Speaking at the inauguration, Commission Chief Executive of the NUPRC, Mrs. Oritsemeyiwa Eyesan, commended EATL, the indigenous firm that developed the facility for its vision, belief, courage and patriotism in investing in the state-of-the-art project.
She described the plant as “a transformative leap forward”, featuring zero-touch automation, tamper-proof audit trails and high-precision gravimetric standards designed to eliminate human error and minimise downtime.

Fruit of Local Content Drive

In his welcome address, Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of EATL, Dr. Emmanuel Okon, said the project emerged from Nigeria’s local content drive after indigenous companies were encouraged in 2020 to build in-country technical capacity.
“Without dependable calibration, even advanced meters produce inconsistent narratives. With it, we align on a unified truth,” he said.
He said the facility incorporates traceable standards, automated data capture and documented uncertainty budgets certified to international benchmarks, allowing regulators, auditors and commercial partners to rely on a single verified dataset.
“This facility promises streamlined revenue reconciliation and compelling investment cases, as Nigerian oil producers will now experience reduced measurement uncertainties,.
“It empowers regulators and oil field operators to demonstrate precision, while communities receive transparent insights into production, royalties, and environmental impacts. Such clarity fosters social license which is the essential and ongoing consent that sustains exploration and production,” he added.
Okon explained that the facility was a vision conceived in 2020 shortly after the inauguration of the second batch of NCDMB’s Project 100 when the Board urged all 40 participating companies to invest boldly in Nigeria to enhance local capacity, with a pledge of unwavering support for any indigenous initiative aimed at building in-country expertise.
“Following this, EATL convened internal discussions, leading to a business proposal for a Multifaceted Flow Metering Calibration Facility, which was ratified by our Board in 2021. This proposal was subsequently submitted to NUPRC, receiving approval in 2022 after rigorous reviews and technical clarifications.
“What NUPRC is inaugurating  today, in the presence of NCDMB, NUIMS and witnessed by industry leaders, transcends mere infrastructure or instrumentation. It is a targeted solution to a persistent challenge that has long eroded time, resources, and stakeholder trust: the uncertainty in measuring product flow through our pipelines.
“Accurate measurement underpins operational economics, equitable revenue allocation, reporting integrity, and process safety. Without dependable calibration, even advanced meters yield inconsistent narratives. With it, however, we align on a unified truth,” Okon explained.
According to him, the EATL Gravimetric Multifaceted Metering Calibration Facility is engineered to accommodate diverse flow regimes and fluid properties, calibrating ultrasonic, Coriolis, positive displacement, turbine, and differential pressure meters across volumes typical in upstream, midstream, and downstream operations.
He added that the facility incorporates temperature and pressure conditioning, traceable reference standards, and automated data capture, noting that “Our uncertainty budgets are meticulously documented and certified to international standards, as verified by regulators. In essence, this facility delivers measurements that regulators, auditors, and commercial partners can trust unequivocally.”

Mitigating Contentious Crude Figures

As recognised by stakeholders in the oil and gas industry, easurement disputes often stem from mismatched baselines or irreproducible results and when a meter’s accuracy is unverified, every barrel invites contention.
Okon assured the people  that this facility mitigates such conflicts by issuing documented calibration certificates and digital evidence confirming meters perform within specifications during testing.
“Should discrepancies arise post-commissioning, traceable records enable swift forensic analysis, shifting focus from disputes to value creation,” he said.
He noted  NUPRC, NNPC Upstream Investment Management Services (NUIMS) and NCDMB  form the foundational pillars of the facility.
Okon maintained that from inception, NUPRC has been integral defining acceptance criteria, reviewing conceptual and detailed engineering designs, witnessing Factory Acceptance Tests (FAT), approving reference meters, weights, primary instruments, procedures, and traceability chains.
He said this collaboration ensures certificates from this facility were recognized for regulatory reporting and compliance, adding that It also facilitates ongoing proficiency testing to maintain competence and transparency.
He said where independent oversight is essential, NUPRC’s involvement guarantees non-negotiable standards.
Okon further said: “This facility promises streamlined revenue reconciliation and compelling investment cases, as Nigerian oil producers will now experience reduced measurement uncertainties. It empowers regulators and Oil field operators to demonstrate precision, while communities receive transparent insights into production, royalties, and environmental impacts. Such clarity fosters social license which is the essential and ongoing consent that sustains exploration and production.
“Today marks our transition from aspiration to operational capability. The gravimetric flow metering calibration facility  is fully equipped, processes are established, and alignments with regulators, partners, and operators are secured. The path forward involves integrating these practices across pipelines, plants, and custody transfer points. I invite industry participants, NUPRC, NCDMB, NNPC, NUIMS, and representatives from the oil and gas community to engage with this facility, scrutinize its data, and adopt it as a shared benchmark. Together, we can shift from debating figures to driving action.”
He appreciated Renaissance Africa Energy Company Limited (RAECL) for their exceptional support and invaluable partnership throughout the commissioning process, particularly for providing the Meter Under Test, without which the milestone would not have been possible.
He also expressed the company’s gratitude to its staff members who worked tirelessly, with dedication, professionalism, and commitment, to bring this remarkable achievement to fruition, sayin: “Your collective effort is truly commendable and greatly appreciated.”
Instructively, Okon wished that the inauguration herald a more predictable, transparent, and equitable measurement ecosystem, saying by calibrating meters,  they also calibrate expectations, accountability, and ultimately, trust.
“I anticipate enduring collaborations, tangible outcomes, and collective prosperity as we advance together. May accurate records inform equitable decisions throughout the oil and gas industry”, he concluded.
In his remarks, Executive Secretary of NCDMB,  Felix Ogbe, who was represented by the Director of Monitoring and Evaluation, Silas Ajimijaye, commended EATL for their resilience, foresight, and unwavering commitment to in-country capacity development.
“Today’s event is not merely the unveiling of a facility; it is the commissioning of competence, confidence, and national capability”, Ogbe said.

A Milestone for Nigerian Content

Ogbe said the facility represents a strategic breakthrough in Nigeria’s oil and gas industry where for decades, critical calibration and metering services were largely executed outside our shores, resulting in capital flight, increased project timelines, and limited knowledge transfer.  
“Today, that narrative is changing.With the inauguration of this multifaceted flow calibration metering system here in Eket, Akwa Ibom State, we are retaining value within Nigeria, deepening technical expertise, and strengthening regulatory integrity in hydrocarbon measurement,” he said.
According to him, accurate flow measurement is the backbone of transparency, revenue assurance, and operational efficiency in the upstream sector.
By building this capability locally, the executive secretary said EATL has positioned Nigeria to reduce dependency on foreign laboratories while enhancing the country’s metering standards under the oversight of the NUPRC.
“Today, EATL stands as living proof that when vision meets support and discipline, transformation happens. This facility validates the Board’s philosophy: support credible indigenous companies, and they will deliver world-class results,” Ogbe noted.
He encouraged the EATL team to maintain international quality standards, pursue accreditation and global certifications, invest continuously in research and human capital, and explore regional and continental markets
“Let this facility become a West African hub for flow calibration excellence. As we cut the ribbon today, we are not just opening a laboratory; we are opening new possibilities for Nigerian engineering, Nigerian innovation, and Nigerian prosperity.
“On behalf of the Board, I reaffirm our commitment to supporting credible indigenous companies that demonstrate capacity, integrity, and vision.
“To  EATL —congratulations.To our regulators and stakeholders — thank you for your partnership. To Nigeria — the future of local content is bright,” Ogbe concluded.