Nigeria: Oil drilling in the north of the country

In Nigeria, the NNPC company is starting to drill for oil and gas in a field in the north of the country.

Share:

Gain full professional access to energynews.pro from 4.90€/month.
Designed for decision-makers, with no long-term commitment.

Over 30,000 articles published since 2021.
150 new market analyses every week to decode global energy trends.

Monthly Digital PRO PASS

Immediate Access
4.90€/month*

No commitment – cancel anytime, activation in 2 minutes.

*Special launch offer: 1st month at the indicated price, then 14.90 €/month, no long-term commitment.

Annual Digital PRO Pass

Full Annual Access
99€/year*

To access all of energynews.pro without any limits

*Introductory annual price for year one, automatically renewed at 149.00 €/year from the second year.

In Nigeria, the NNPC company is starting to drill for oil and gas in a field in the north of the country.

Oil exploitation project

Nigeria is launching a new oil project in the north of the country through the Nigerian state-owned company NNPC. The first commercial quantity oil discovery in the Kolmani area was in 2019. It is also the first time the country has sought to produce crude outside the Niger Delta.

The estimated reserves of the oil field amount to 1 billion barrels according to statements by Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari. In addition, the Kolmani field is estimated to contain 500 billion cubic feet of gas. This Nigerian oil project does not involve any oil major.

NNPC is developing the project in collaboration with local company Sterling Global Oil and the New Nigeria Development Commission. Phase one of the project in northern Nigeria will include an oil refinery, according to an NNPC statement. In addition, it will integrate a gas treatment unit, a 300MW power plant and a fertilizer factory.

A delicate context

At the project launch ceremony, the Nigerian president stressed the difficulty of attracting investment in fossil fuels. In addition, he recalled the sensitivity of the project’s location. It is located between Bauchi and Gombe states in northeast Nigeria, fighting an Islamist insurgency.

Nigeria has been looking for oil in this region for several years, particularly in the Lake Chad basin, the focus of the Islamist insurgency. On the other hand, Nigeria has in the past faced public opposition to oil projects. Militants were blowing up pipelines in the Niger Delta, accusing oil companies of neglecting the local population.

This delicate context in northeast Nigeria led the major oil companies to focus on offshore drilling. Insecurity and oil theft led to a decline in production. This led to Nigeria losing its status as Africa’s largest oil producer.

Backed by flagship projects linked to EACOP and the Tilenga and Kingfisher fields, Uganda aims to lead Africa in new oil storage additions, with a projected impact on its revenues and financial flows by 2030.
A study reveals that independent oil and gas producers supported over 3.1 million jobs and generated $129bn in taxes, representing 87% of the US upstream sector’s economic contributions.
GATE Energy has been appointed to deliver full commissioning services for bp’s Kaskida floating production unit, developed in partnership with Seatrium in the deepwater Gulf of Mexico.
A Syrian vessel carrying 640,000 barrels of crude has docked in Italy, marking the country’s first oil shipment since the civil war began in 2011, amid partial easing of US sanctions.
Canadian crude shipments from the Pacific Coast reached 13.7 million barrels in August, driven by a notable increase in deliveries to China and a drop in flows to the US Gulf Coast.
Faced with rising global electricity demand, energy sector leaders are backing an "all-of-the-above" strategy, with oil and gas still expected to supply 50% of global needs by 2050.
London has expanded its sanctions against Russia by blacklisting 70 new tankers, striking at the core of Moscow's energy exports and budget revenues.
Iraq is negotiating with Oman to build a pipeline linking Basrah to Omani shores to reduce its dependence on the Strait of Hormuz and stabilise crude exports to Asia.
French steel tube manufacturer Vallourec has secured a strategic agreement with Petrobras, covering complete offshore well solutions from 2026 to 2029.
Increased output from Opec+ and non-member producers is expected to create a global oil surplus as early as 2025, putting pressure on crude prices, according to the International Energy Agency.
The Brazilian company expands its African footprint with a new offshore exploration stake, partnering with Shell and Galp to develop São Tomé and Príncipe’s Block 4.
A drone attack on a Bachneft oil facility in Ufa sparked a fire with no casualties, temporarily disrupting activity at one of Russia’s largest refineries.
The divide between the United States and the European Union over regulations on Russian oil exports to India is causing a drop in scheduled deliveries, as negotiation margins tighten between buyers and sellers.
Against market expectations, US commercial crude reserves surged due to a sharp drop in exports, only slightly affecting international prices.
Russia plans to ship 2.1 million barrels per day from its western ports in September, revising exports upward amid lower domestic demand following drone attacks on key refineries.
QatarEnergy obtained a 35% stake in the Nzombo block, located in deep waters off Congo, under a production sharing contract signed with the Congolese government.
Phillips 66 acquires Cenovus Energy’s remaining 50% in WRB Refining, strengthening its US market position with two major sites totalling 495,000 barrels per day.
Nigeria’s two main oil unions have halted loadings at the Dangote refinery, contesting the rollout of a private logistics fleet that could reshape the sector’s balance.
Reconnaissance Energy Africa Ltd. enters Gabonese offshore with a strategic contract on the Ngulu block, expanding its portfolio with immediate production potential and long-term development opportunities.
BW Energy has finalised a $365mn financing for the conversion of the Maromba FPSO offshore Brazil and signed a short-term lease for a drilling rig with Minsheng Financial Leasing.

Log in to read this article

You'll also have access to a selection of our best content.