The chief executive of the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), Mr Gbenga Komolafe, has expressed delight over the impending increase in oil production.
The NUPRC chief shared his view during an official visit to Dubai Drydocks World (DDWD) in the United Arab Emirates as part of the regulatory oversight of the EMEM Floating Production Storage and Offloading (FPSO) vessel’s sail away readiness.
The EMEM FPSO is being converted at DDWD for Oriental Energy Resources Limited (OERL) and will be deployed to the Okwok Field (PML 15), operated by Oriental Ok Limited, offshore Nigeria.
According to a statement, Mr Komolafe undertook a four-hour detailed inspection of the vessel, inspecting critical areas including the Oil and Produced Water Treatment Unit, Gas Injection Modules, Seawater Treatment Facilities, Gas Turbine Generators, Electrical House, LACT Unit, Laboratory, Control Room, and Accommodation Quarters.
The walkthrough enabled the commission to assess the project’s compliance, quality, and readiness for sail away.
Delivering his remarks after the tour of the FPSO, the NUPRC boss said the FPSO’s planned departure to Nigeria was good news as it aligns with the Project One Million Barrels initiative, which seeks to increase the country’s oil production by one million barrels.
“This FPSO is coming to Nigeria at a time we are seeking to increase production. It will help in achieving our project, One Million Barrels. From what I have seen, I am very impressed, and as the regulator, we will continue to give support to Oriental Energy,” he said.
Mr Komolafe advised Oriental Energy to participate in the next licensing round as the company had shown that it had the capacity to take on more projects in Nigeria’s vibrant oil and gas sector.
Recall that the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited on Wednesday raised Nigeria’s oil output to 1.7 million barrels per day, with targets of 2 million by 2027 and 3 million in the long term.
The Group Chief Executive Officer of the company, Mr Bashir Ojulari, revealed this on Tuesday at the Energy Talk session of the ongoing Abu Dhabi International Petroleum Exhibition and Conference (ADIPEC 2025) taking place in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (UAE).