By Emmanuella Anokam
An indigenous oil company, Nestoil Group, has strengthened Nigeria’s oil exploration and production capacity through the deployment of its wholly Nigerian-crewed drilling rig, the Pathfinder 500.
The Group’s Chairman, Dr Ernest Azudialu-Obiejesi, disclosed this in a statement on Saturday, noting that the aim was to increase crude oil production from Oil Mining Lease (OML) 42.
Azudialu-Obiejesi said the successful deployment of the rig marked a significant milestone in the Group’s contribution to the growth of Nigeria’s oil and gas industry.
He said the Pathfinder 500, deployed through the Group’s strategic business unit, Scorpio Drilling International, had successfully completed workover operations on two producing wells in OML 42 without any Health, Safety and Environment (HSE) incident.
“The operations have contributed to incremental oil production from the asset, as the rig has subsequently been safely demobilised to its base,” he said.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Pathfinder 500 is one of two drilling rigs acquired by the Group, alongside the Scorpio 300, under an investment of about 28 million dollars.
Azudialu-Obiejesi said the successful deployment of the Pathfinder 500 was particularly significant because it was the rig’s first productive assignment since its acquisition about eight years ago.
According to him, the achievement demonstrates Nestoil Group’s commitment to building indigenous drilling capacity to support the redevelopment of OML 42 and unlock additional in-field exploration and drilling opportunities.
He said the investment was informed by the need to reduce reliance on hired rigs, which he described as difficult and costly to secure within Nigeria’s operating environment.
“As an asset owner in OML 42, we recognised the need to have reliable in-house drilling capacity to undertake workovers, revive older wells and ultimately drill new wells as the field matures.
“With this milestone, we are now positioned to proceed with our planned in-field drilling programme,”Azudialu-Obiejesi said.
The chairman said the development would enable the Group to deepen exploration activities and sustain increased oil production from the asset.
He added that the entire project, from the refurbishment of the rig to its crewing and deployment, was executed by Nigerian personnel without foreign partnership or support.
Azudialu-Obiejesi said the rig was currently being operated by a 100 per cent Nigerian crew, describing the achievement as evidence of the growing technical capacity of Nigerian professionals in the oil and gas industry.
He attributed the development to decades of capacity building by international operators in Nigeria’s oil and gas sector, which, he said, had helped the country develop highly skilled drilling personnel.
The chairman said Nigeria had reached a stage where its skilled drilling personnel were capable of providing expertise to other oil-producing countries.
He commended the management and staff of Scorpio Drilling International, as well as other personnel involved in the rehabilitation, mobilisation and operation of the Pathfinder 500.
Azudialu-Obiejesi said the achievement was not only significant to Nestoil Group but also represented an important contribution to the development of Nigeria’s indigenous oil and gas industry.
He said Scorpio Drilling International, the Pathfinder 500 and Scorpio 300, were now among companies operating drilling rigs in Nigeria, describing ownership of such assets as an important indicator of indigenous capacity in oil-producing countries.
“Nestoil Group, through Neconde Energy, will continue to invest in drilling, workover and well-services infrastructure to sustain and grow oil production from OML 42.
“Scorpio Drilling International will continue to provide drilling services to the Group and third-party operators across Nigeria’s oil and gas industry.”
Nestoil Group, through Neconde Energy, holds interests in OML 42, a legacy Shell-operated asset, and has continued to invest in indigenous capacity to support its redevelopment and production growth.(NAN)(www.nannews.ng)
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Edited by Emmanuel Afonne