The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd.) and its Joint Venture partner in the Awoba Unit Field, Newcross Exploration and Production Ltd., have resumed production crude oil in Awoba Field, River State.

The NNPCL Ltd said the field last contributed production to the Bonny Terminal in 2021 and was finally shut down in February 2022 due to evacuation issues and crude oil theft, has been averaging 8,000 barrels per day, and production is expected to ramp up to 12,000 barrels per day within the next 30 days.

The NNPCL noted that the field, restarted on April 13, 2024, the Awoba field is also expected to significantly boost gas supply to the power sector and other gas-based industries and optimise production from the nation’s hydrocarbon assets to boost revenues and meet the nation’s OPEC production quota, according to a release signed by its spokesman, Olufemi Soneye.

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 Ltd 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 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.

Speaking on the development, Mele Kyari, the group chief executive officer, ascribed the achievement to the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu administration’s success in providing an enabling operating environment for businesses to thrive.

He showed appreciation to all stakeholders (staff, operators, host communities, government security agencies, and private security contractors) who played a pivotal role in achieving the feat.