LAGOS, Nigeria — Esso Exploration and Production Nigeria (Offshore East) Limited, an ExxonMobil affiliate and operator of the Usan field in Oil Mining Lease (OML) 138, has announced the arrival of the Noble Gerry de Souza ultra-deepwater drillship in Nigerian waters, marking the start of the Usan Infill Project’s execution phase.
The drilling campaign is expected to deliver up to 40,000 barrels per day (bpd) of additional crude oil production within 18 months, providing a relatively short-cycle boost to Nigeria’s oil output as the country seeks to increase production towards the government’s two-million-barrel-per-day target.
The Usan Infill Project is backed by a cumulative $1 billion investment by the OML 138 partners and is designed to maximise recovery from the existing Usan field infrastructure.
Esso said the project demonstrates continued investment in Nigeria’s deepwater oil sector and reflects confidence in the country’s evolving investment environment.
Noble Gerry de Souza Arrives for Usan Drilling Campaign
The arrival of the drillship marks a transition from project planning and preparation to offshore drilling operations.
Jagir Baxi, Chairman and Managing Director of ExxonMobil affiliates in Nigeria, said the milestone represented a new phase for the Usan field and reinforced the company’s focus on short-cycle deepwater production.
“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.
The drillship’s capabilities are expected to support the safe and efficient execution of the drilling programme while enabling Esso and its partners to maximise the use of existing infrastructure.
Usan Project Targets 40,000 bpd Production Increase
The Usan Infill Project involves additional drilling and subsea development within the existing field.
By leveraging infrastructure already in place, the project is designed to accelerate production and value delivery while improving recovery from the Usan asset.
Esso expects the additional wells to contribute up to 40,000 bpd of incremental oil production within 18 months of the project’s execution.
The expected increase could provide a significant contribution to Nigeria’s efforts to reverse production declines and strengthen crude oil supply, export earnings and government revenues.
The project is also expected to support Nigeria’s broader energy security objectives by increasing domestic oil production from an existing deepwater asset rather than relying solely on the development of new fields.
$1bn Investment Underpins Usan Expansion
Esso said the Usan milestone followed years of planning and collaboration involving multidisciplinary teams from the company, its partners and other organisations involved in the project.
The company said their work had been critical to moving the project from concept development to operational readiness.
With offshore activities now commencing, Esso said it would continue working with government institutions, regulators, contractors and its co-venturers to deliver the project safely and responsibly.
The company described the arrival of the drillship as the beginning of a new phase of investment and technological development at the Usan field.
About the Usan Infill Project
The Usan Infill Project is aimed at increasing crude oil production from the existing Usan field through additional drilling and subsea development.
The project will leverage existing infrastructure and is expected to deliver up to 40,000 bpd of incremental production, making it a relatively short-cycle development compared with large greenfield offshore projects.
Usan is located in OML 138, a deepwater asset operated by Esso Exploration and Production Nigeria (Offshore East) Limited under a Production Sharing Contract with the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC).
The project forms part of ongoing efforts to unlock additional production from Nigeria’s mature and existing oil assets while attracting further investment into the country’s deepwater petroleum sector.
