The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd.), in collaboration with its Joint Venture partner, Newcross Exploration and Production Ltd., has successfully recommenced production from the Awoba Unit Field.
Olufemi Soneye Chief Corporate Communications Officer NNPC Ltd. Abuja said this initiative aims to optimize hydrocarbon asset utilization, enhance revenue generation, and fulfill the nation’s OPEC production quota.
The Awoba field, which ceased production to the Bonny Terminal in 2021 and was officially shut down in February 2022 due to evacuation challenges and crude oil theft, has now been brought back online. Since the field’s restart on April 13, 2024, by NNPC Ltd. and its partners, daily production has averaged 8,000 barrels per day, with expectations to reach a plateau of 12,000 barrels per day upon full ramp-up within 30 days. Additionally, the Awoba field is anticipated to significantly augment gas supply to the power sector and other gas-dependent industries.
Situated in the mangrove swamp south of Port Harcourt, Rivers State, the Awoba Unit spans OMLs 18 and 24 and falls under the purview of NNPC Upstream Investment Management Services (NUIMS), managing both OML 18 and OML 24 assets.
NNPC Ltd. has recently achieved several production milestones across its Joint Venture portfolio, notably restarting production at the Madu Field with First E&P JV. Furthermore, production restarts at OMLs 29 and 18 in late 2023 have contributed approximately 60,000 barrels per day to the nation’s overall production output since their reinstatement.
Commenting on this development, Mallam Mele Kyari, the Group Chief Executive Officer of NNPC Ltd., attributed the success to the enabling operating environment provided by the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. He extended appreciation to all stakeholders, including staff, operators, host communities, government security agencies, and private security contractors, whose collective efforts facilitated this accomplishment.
