NNPC, Newcross E&P unveil 12,000b/d production from Awoba field
Adewale Akintaro
The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, NNPC, and its joint venture partner in the Awoba Unit Field, Newcross Exploration and Production Limited, have recommenced production from the field, which last made productive contribution to the Bonny Terminal in 2021 and was ultimately closed in February 2022 due to evacuation issues and crude oil theft.
It’s believed this development will be a major bolster to Nigeria’s drive at optimising production from its hydrocarbon assets to raise revenues and meet the nation’s OPEC production quota.
Since the restart of the Awoba field by NNPC and its partners on April 13, 2024; production from the field has averaged 8,000 barrels per day and is expected to plateau at 12,000 per day at full ramp-up within 30 days. Awoba is also expected to significantly boost gas supply to the power sector and other gas-based industries.
The Awoba Unit, which straddles OMLs 18 and 24, is located in the mangrove swamp south of Port Harcourt, Rivers State. Both OML 18 and OML 24 assets are under the management of the NNPC Upstream Investment Management Services, NUIMS.
NNPC has been recording a string of production successes from the JV portfolio which have significantly lifted overall national production. Besides the recent start of production at the Madu Field by the NNPC/First E&P JV, the company has achieved the restart of production at OMLs 29 and OML 18 in late 2023 which have steadily contributed an average of 60,000bpd to the nation’s production output since their restart.
Speaking on the development, the Group Chief Executive Officer of the NNPC, Mallam Mele Kyari, ascribed the achievement to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration’s success in providing an enabling operating environment for businesses to thrive.
He appreciated all stakeholders (staff, operators, host communities, government security agencies, and private security contractors) who played a pivotal role in achieving the feat.
