U.S. oil supermajor, ExxonMobil, has proposed an investment of $10 billion in Nigeria’s deepwater oil resource development.
According to the spokesman and senior special assistant to the Vice-President, Stanley Nkwocha, in a statement issued yesterday, Vice-President, Kashim Shettima “welcomed ExxonMobil’s proposed $10 billion investment in Nigeria’s deep-water oil operations, describing it as a clear testament to the administration’s economic reforms and investment-friendly policies,” said the statement.
Recall that Shettima, on Wednesday, held a high-level meeting with ExxonMobil executives on the sidelines of the on-going 79th Session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York.
Oil theft and pipeline vandalism have long plagued Nigeria’s upstream oil and gas industry, often resulting in force majeure at the key crude oil export terminals.
International majors have shrunk their exposure to Nigeria’s energy sector in recent years, with transparency in the licensing rounds one of the reasons for Big Oil to divest from their Nigerian assets, on top of oil theft and frequent pipeline damages.
According to reports, ExxonMobil intends to sell its shallow water business in Nigeria to Seplat, the biggest Nigerian energy company by market value, in a $1.3 billion deal, which has yet to be approved by the regulator.
Now, ExxonMobil’s new strategy in Nigeria will focus on the Owo project, a substantial sub-sea tie-back, which could represent a $10 billion investment, the presidential spokesman said yesterday.
Chairman and Managing Director of ExxonMobil affiliates in Nigeria, Shane Harris, said:“We’re working closely with the President’s office and the Special Adviser to the President to secure favorable fiscal arrangements that will make this significant investment possible”, as quoted by the press statement from the Presidency.
“Our commitment to Nigeria remains unwavering. As we celebrate 70 years of oil production and 8 billion barrels produced, we’re not retreating but refocusing our investments on deep-water opportunities”, Harris was further quoted as saying.
