By Wanokabo Okaikai, in Lagos
For the first time ever, undeveloped discoveries in Nigerian Agip operated acreages may be awarded as marginal fields.
Two accumulations operated by the company are likely to be part of about 40 fields expected to be on offer, when the Nigerian government launches the much awaited marginal fields bid round later in the year.
Sources in Nigerian Agip, the Nigerian subsidiary of the Italian giant ENI, confirm that preliminary data from two of the company’s operated undeveloped discoveries are in the “bid basket” of the Department of Petroleum Resources, the agency responsible for conducting the bid round.
Agip has been unable to “participate” in marginal field awards since the exercise formally began in 2002 because, of all the majors, it has the least prospective acreages in Nigeria, especially Onshore, where the bulk of undeveloped discoveries referred to as marginal fields are located.
Only three of the five oil majors operating in Nigeria contributed fields in their acreages to the basket, during the in the landmark 2002/2003 marginal field bid round.
ExxonMobil did not contribute any field in those awards but has, in the past 15 years since then, “given” up two marginal fields: Okwok and Ebok to the Nigerian government, in furtherance of the cause, which is to help boost indigenous capacity.
Outside the 2002/2003 awards, Shell has contributed two more marginal fields. Ubima and Otakikpo were awarded by the Nigerian state in 2012, outside the process of a bid round, a situation that was severely criticised.
The Marginal field round is expected to be declared open latest September 2017. Click here for a map showing the likely bid round candidates.
