In a major step towards boosting Nigeria’s oil and gas production, the NNPC-TotalEnergies JV has officially announced a 550 million USD Final Investment Decision (FID) on the Ubeta Field Development Project.
The milestone is in line with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Presidential Executive Order on Oil and Gas Reforms, which aimed largely at improving the investment climate and positioning Nigeria as the preferred investment destination for the oil and gas sector in Africa.
The Ubeta field discovered in 1964, north-west of Port Harcourt in the eastern part of the Niger Delta, will, once on stream, produce about 350 MMScf/day of gas and 10,000 BBLS/day of associated liquids, tapping into the vast gas reserves and contributing towards securing gas supply to the Nigerian Liquified Natural Gas (NLNG).
Mallam Mele Kyari, the Group Chief Executive Officer of NNPC Limited, acknowledged President Bola Tinubu’s administration’s continuous support for facilitating a conducive operational environment at the well-attended signing ceremony at the NNPC Towers, which was a major enabler in achieving this success.
A statement by Mr. Olufemi Soneye, the Chief Corporate Communications Officer of NNPC Ltd., quotes Kyari as saying: “We appreciate Mr. President for supporting us with the appropriate fiscal environment.
The Presidential Executive Order is instrumental to us getting to this significant milestone, and we are now seeing the impact of the policy.”
Mike Sangster, Senior Vice President Africa, Exploration & Production, TotalEnergies, said in his remarks: “Ubeta is the latest in a series of projects developed by TotalEnergies in Nigeria, most recently Ikike and Akpo West.
“I am pleased that we can launch this new gas project, which has been made possible by the government’s recent incentives for non-associated gas developments.
“Ubeta fits perfectly with our strategy of developing low-cost and low-emission projects, and will contribute to the Nigerian economy through higher NLNG exports.”
Earlier in his remarks, the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Oil), Sen. Heineken Lokpobiri, said President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has significantly rekindled investor confidence in the oil and gas industry, assuring Nigerians that more investments are on the way.
Also speaking, the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Gas), Rt. Hon. Ekperikpe Ekpo, said the project is a testament to the effectiveness of the government’s policies aimed at creating a conducive environment for investment in the gas sector.
Located in OML58, the Ubeta gas condensate field will be developed with a new 6-well cluster connected to the existing Obite facilities through an 11km buried pipeline.
Production start-up is expected in 2027, with a plateau of 300 million cubic feet per day (about 70,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day, including condensates).
Gas from Ubeta will be supplied to NLNG, a liquefaction plant located in Bonny Island with an on-going capacity expansion from 22 to 30 Mtpa, in which NNPC Limited holds a 49% interest.
Ubeta is a low-emission and low-cost development, leveraging on OML58 existing gas processing facilities.
The carbon intensity of the project will be further reduced through a 5 MW solar plant currently under construction at the Obite site and the electrification of the drilling rig.
TotalEnergies is working closely with NNPC Limited to enhance local content, with more than 90% of the manhours being worked locally.
The Ubeta FID validates NNPC Limited’s unwavering executive support and effort in addressing the underlying issues that have hindered the Nigerian oil and gas industry’s appeal to foreign investors in recent years.
The Ubeta project has a robust Nigerian content plan and is poised to stimulate economic activities, create job opportunities, and create significant value for stakeholders.
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