Nigeria hope of increasing its crude oil production has be rekindled following recent announcement from TotalEnergies of resumption of first crude oil production from Ikike field.

TotalEnergies, OML99 operator (40%) in partnership with the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC, 60%), has announced the start of production from the Ikike field, in Nigeria via its press release on 25th of July, 2022.

Located 20 kilometers off the coast, at a depth of about 20 meters, the Ikike platform is tied back to the existing Amenam offshore facilities through a 14 km multiphase pipeline. It will deliver peak production of 50,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day by the end of 2022.

The Ikike project leverages existing facilities to keep costs low, and is designed to minimize greenhouse gas emissions: estimated at less than 4kg CO2e/boe, they will contribute to reducing the average carbon intensity of TotalEnergies’ upstream portfolio. In addition, 95% of hours were worked locally: the jacket as well as the topside modules were entirely built and integrated by local contractors.

“TotalEnergies is pleased to start production at Ikike, which was launched a few months before the covid pandemic, and whose success owes a lot to the full mobilization of the teams. By tapping discoveries close to existing facilities, this project fits the Company’s strategy of focusing on low-cost and low-emission oil projects,” said Henri-Max Ndong-Nzue, Senior Vice President Africa, Exploration and Production at TotalEnergies.

Nigeria has been struggling to meet its OPEC crude oil production quota of 1.826 million barrels per day. This inability of meeting this quota mid crude oil price surge is being attributed to prevailing crude oil theft and pipeline vandalism currently ravaging the top African crude oil nation.

TotalEnergies has been present in Nigeria for more than 60 years and employs today more than 1,800 people across different business segments. Nigeria is one of the main contributing countries to TotalEnergies’ hydrocarbon production where the Company produced 240 000 boe/d in 2021. TotalEnergies also operates an extensive distribution network which includes about 540 service stations in the country. In all its operations, TotalEnergies is particularly attentive to the socio-economic development of the country and is committed to working with local communities.