Contrary to reports that International Oil Companies, Shell, Chevron and others will finally bid farewell to Nigeria’s upstream, fresh findings have shown that energy firms would be involved in more well-drilling activities in the country this year.
Reliable sources told The PUNCH that Chevron and its Joint Venture partner, the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, are currently in talks to undertake drilling operations in one of its core assets.
It was gathered that the duo were already pre-qualifying rig owners for the drilling campaign that is due to start in the second quarter of the year.
The charter contract has been projected to run for a fixed term of two years, with a one-year extension option.
The joint venture had given interested parties a deadline of November 22, 2022, to submit bids.
The deal would be announced as soon as all indices have been completed, The PUNCH gathered.
Likewise, Shell has put more than a dozen turnkey contracts on offer for work in the Niger Delta.
Findings showed that the project entails a “drill to fill” tender process, with contracts said to be worth about $600m.
The supermajor’s “drill to fill” policy has been around for at least seven years with the goal of producing enough oil and gas via drilling and development investments to maximise the capacities of existing infrastructure.
The project, The PUNCH learnt, is a Joint Venture among its Nigerian subsidiary, Shell Petroleum Development Company, state-owned NNPC, TotalEnergies and Eni.
For this project, 13 contracts were already for bidding, mostly engineering, procurement and construction packages, and had received prequalification documents as of January 11.
Chevron had debunked recent reports that it was leaving Nigeria.
In a statement, the firm’s General Manager, Policy, Government and Public Affairs, Esimaje Brikinn, described the reports as misleading.
“Please note that the allegation is untrue and does not represent the position of Chevron in Nigeria.
“CNL remains committed to sustaining the existing mutually beneficial and long-term relationship with Nigeria and other stakeholders as demonstrated by our significant economic and social investments in Nigeria over the last six decades,” the statement said.
An investment research firm, Hawilti had earlier predicted that Nigeria and other top African producers will witness upstream revival and the launch of several multi-well drilling campaigns in 2023.
According to the firm, at least 26 drilling campaigns and rigs are scheduled to be active in Africa during the year.
Already the Federal Government last week flagged off the 2022 mini-bid round process in accordance with the Petroleum Industry Act 2021.
The Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission had said the mini-bid round was an opportunity to spur new oil exploration and drilling activities in the prospective deep waters offshore Nigeria in 2023.
The Commission Chief Executive, NUPRC, Gbenga Komolafe, said the mini-bid round was aimed at further development of the deep offshore acreages.
French major, TotalEnergies, would also be conducting deep-water drilling through its planned infill drilling campaign on OML 130.
