Nigeria begins production from Awoba, Madu oil and gas fields to boost domestic supply

(WO) – This month, Nigerian National Petroleum Co. Ltd. (NNPC) restarted production from Nigeria’s Awoba field and began production from the country’s Madu field.

According to NNPC, the Awoba field was shut down in February 2024 due to “evacuation issues and crude oil theft. Since restarting production on April 13, the field has averaged 8,000 bpd and is expected to plateau at 12,000 bpd at full ramp up within 30 days. Awoba is also expected to “significantly” boost the country’s gas supply.

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).

Additionally, NNPC and its partner in OML 85, First Exploration and Petroleum Development Company Limited (First E&P), have commenced oil production from the shallow water Madu field.

Production from the field offshore Bayelsa State and operated by First E&P is expected to be at an average of 20,000 bpd.

Production from the Madu Field will be processed at the JV’s Abigail-Joseph Floating Production Storage and Offloading (FPSO) Unit, which has a crude oil storage capacity of up to 800,000 bbls.

Group Chief Executive Officer of NNPC Ltd, Mr. Mele Kyari, described the commencement of oil production at the Madu Field as a significant milestone that will contribute to the larger goal of meeting the production required to drive revenue growth and boost the nation’s economy.

Kyari, who commended stakeholders for their support, also explained that the addition of 20,000 barrels per day by an indigenous oil player signals the commitment of stakeholders to achieving economic development for Nigeria.

NNPC Ltd has been recording a string of production successes from its JV portfolio, which have significantly lifted overall national production. Besides the recent start of production at the Madu Field by the NNPC Ltd/First E&P JV, the company has restarted production at OML 29 and OML 18 in late 2023, which have steadily contributed an average of 60,000 bpd to the nation’s production.