….Target 12,000bpd by May
From Adanna Nnamani, Abuja
The Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) and its joint venture (JV) partner, Newcross Exploration and Production Ltd, have commenced production at the Awoba unit field in Port Harcourt, Rivers state.
According to a statement on Tuesday by NNPC Spokesperson, Olufemi Soneye, the field ceased production at the Bonny Terminal in 2021 and was later closed down in February 2022 due to evacuation challenges and crude oil theft.
He said: “Since the restart of the Awoba field by NNPC Ltd 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,” NNPC said.
“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).”
Soneye stated that the company has achieved a series of production successes from the joint venture portfolio, notably boosting the country’s overall production levels.
“Besides the recent start of production at the Madu Field by the NNPC Ltd/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,” he said.
Speaking on the development, Mele Kyari, group chief executive officer (GCEO) of NNPC Ltd, credited the achievement to President Bola Tinubu’s administration, saying that the government has created an environment that makes it easier for businesses to thrive.
He also applauded all staff, operators, host communities, security agencies, and other stakeholders who contributed to the success of the project.