Usan Drilling Set to Increase Nigeria’s Oil Output by 40,000 Barrels Daily

Nigeria’s oil output is set for a potential boost of up to 40,000 barrels per day from the Usan Field after the Noble Gerry de Souza drillship entered Nigerian waters to begin work on a major infill drilling project.

This development is expected to deliver the extra crude production within 18 months under the Usan Infill Project, a short-cycle development backed by a cumulative $1 billion investment by partners in Oil Mining Lease 138.

Esso Exploration and Production Nigeria (Offshore East) Limited operates the field, where additional wells and subsea facilities are planned to extract more oil from the existing asset.

The project will rely on infrastructure already installed at Usan, allowing the new development to build production capacity from facilities already in place.

$1bn bet on Usan production

The arrival of the ultra-deepwater drillship signals the operational start of the project after years of planning and preparation by Esso and its partners.

For the OML 138 partners, the investment provides a route to bring new barrels from an existing deepwater field within a relatively short period.

The promoters said the project demonstrates confidence in Nigeria’s investment environment and Esso’s continued interest in offshore oil development in the country.

Jagir Baxi, Chairman and Managing Director of ExxonMobil affiliates in Nigeria, said the drillship’s arrival begins a new operational stage for Usan.

“The arrival of the Noble Gerry de Souza marks the beginning of an exciting new chapter for the Usan Field and reflects our continued focus on delivering short cycle deepwater production growth through disciplined investment, in deploying technologies and through operational excellence,” Baxi said.

He said the vessel’s capabilities would support the safe and efficient execution of the drilling programme and help increase recovery from the field.

The company expects the work to improve production from Usan through new drilling and subsea development.

Drillship begins offshore work

The Noble Gerry de Souza will handle the drilling campaign required for the production expansion.

Baxi said preparations for the project had involved multidisciplinary teams from Esso and partner organisations in Nigeria, with their work taking the development from planning to operational readiness.

The project is expected to contribute additional barrels to Nigeria’s oil production and support the country’s energy security and economic development once the planned output comes on stream.

Esso said offshore operations would be carried out in partnership with government stakeholders, regulators, contractors and co-venturers.

“The arrival of the Noble Gerry de Souza represents the start of a new phase of investment, innovation, and growth for the Usan Field and further demonstrates Esso’s commitment to supporting Nigeria’s energy future,” Baxi said.

The Usan Field is located in OML 138, where the infill programme is designed to draw more production from the existing development through additional wells and subsea work.