Mohammed Shosanya
The Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC),Monday announced successful acquisition of $1.28billion assets of Mobil Producing Nigeria Unlimited (MPNU) by Seplat Energy Offshore Limited.
It also approved Equinor Nigeria Energy Company Limited sales to Project Odinmin Investments Limited, Nigerian Agip Oil Company Limited to Oando Petroleum and Natural Gas Company Limited and TotalEnergies EP Nigeria Limited to Telema Energies Nigeria Limited.
But the divestment of Shell Petroleum Development Company Limited’s assets to Renaissance Africa Energy Company Limited could not scale regulatory test.
Of the five divestment applications for consent received by Commission a total of four, representing 80% passed regulatory test and secured ministerial consent.
The Commission’s Chief Executive, Engr. Gbenga Komolafe,announced this during the launch of operation 1 million per day oil industry production initiative.
According to him,the project is an industry collaborative initiative to co- create solutions and evolve alternative funding mechanisms to unlock incremental oil production in the short-to-medium term with expanded opportunities for all industry stakeholder groups.
He explained that the new initiative will create value addition for all stakeholders – producers,service providers, rig owners,financiers, rude Oil off-takers, amongst others.
“The Project 1 Million Barrel initiative is pivotal to production ramp-up, energy security, and economic resilience, all in the overall national interest. You may recall that by 1st January this year, we issued the Regulatory Action Plan for 2024 and the near term, to signal direction for the upstream sector and foster operational excellence. The implementation of that Plan has birthed the Project 1 Million Barrels of Oil per day Initiative.
“The project is an industry collaborative initiative to co- create solutions and evolve alternative funding mechanisms to unlock incremental oil production in the short-to-medium term with expanded opportunities for all industry stakeholder groups”