Nigerian indigenous oil and gas exploration and production (E&P) company Green Energy International Limited (GEIL) has completed the construction of the Otakikpo Crude Oil Terminal in Rivers State — Nigeria’s first fully indigenous onshore crude oil export terminal.
At a media briefing in Abuja, GEIL Chairman and CEO, Professor Anthony Adegbulugbe, described the $400 million facility as a game changer for Nigeria’s energy infrastructure. He highlighted that for over five decades, Nigeria relied exclusively on terminals built by foreign multinational oil companies, and that the Otakikpo Terminal showcases the growing capacity and innovation of indigenous players.
Completed in under two years, the Otakikpo Terminal has an initial storage capacity of 750,000 barrels, with plans to expand up to 3 million barrels. Equipped with a 360,000 barrels-per-day pumping system, the terminal is designed as a multi-user facility to support a broad range of exploration and production companies, especially those with stranded or smaller reserves.
The terminal caters to four types of producers: those able to truck oil to the site; those who can barge crude from creekside locations; offshore operators within 23 kilometers; and companies seeking safer export routes due to pipeline vandalism and crude theft. A bi-directional pipeline enables flexible transfers between offshore and onshore operations.
To enhance security and operational efficiency, GEIL engineered its pipelines as three-phase conduits capable of transporting crude oil, gas, and water. This multipurpose design helps deter pipeline vandalism and ensures producers receive full value for their output.
Until now, Nigeria’s crude exports depended on five onshore terminals operated by multinational firms — Bonny, Qua Iboe, Brass River, Forcados, and Escravos. The Otakikpo Terminal offers a strategic alternative aligned with government policies to boost local content and reform the oil sector.
The facility also unlocks access to over 40 nearby stranded fields estimated to hold more than 3 billion barrels of oil equivalent (BOE), supporting federal plans to revitalize dormant fields in Ogoni and Opobo and foster development in the Niger Delta.
As part of a broader $1.3 billion development plan, GEIL’s investment in Otakikpo is poised to significantly enhance Nigeria’s oil export infrastructure. The terminal is expected to be officially commissioned by President Bola Tinubu in the coming weeks.