Jan 26, 2026
NNPC and Chevron Confirm Major Hydrocarbon Strike at Awodi-07 Well
The Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited and its Joint Venture (JV) partner, Chevron Nigeria Limited (CNL), have officially announced a significant hydrocarbon discovery at the Awodi-07 appraisal and exploration well.
The find, located in the shallow offshore waters of the Western Niger Delta, is being hailed as a major milestone in Nigeria’s 2026 "Energy Independence" roadmap.
Technical Breakdown of the Discovery
The Awodi-07 well was designed with a dual purpose: to appraise known reservoirs and explore new "frontier" sands within the existing asset portfolio.
Parameter | Technical Data |
|---|---|
Spud Date | November 30, 2025 |
Total Depth | 12,420 ft (Measured Depth) / 11,303 ft (True Vertical Depth) |
Total Net Pay | 675 feet of hydrocarbon-bearing sands |
Appraisal Pay | 310 feet (confirming pre-drill volume expectations) |
Exploration Pay | 365 feet (across six new hydrocarbon-bearing sands) |
Status | Safely plugged and suspended pending development |
The discovery of 675 feet of net pay is considered "highly encouraging" by industry standards, significantly increasing the proven reserves of the Western Niger Delta block. | |
Operational Timeline |
Late November 2025: Drilling operations commenced using high-spec offshore jack-up technology.
December 16, 2025: The well reached its target total depth (TD).
December 28, 2025: Completion of wireline logging and fluid sampling, which confirmed the quality of the crude and gas deposits.
January 26, 2026: Formal announcement by NNPC Ltd following comprehensive data validation.
Strategic Significance for 2026
This discovery aligns with the Federal Government's aggressive push to increase national production. Under the leadership of GCEO Engr. Bashir Bayo Ojulari, NNPC Ltd has set a production benchmark of 1.84 million barrels per day (mbpd) for the 2026 budget, with an ultimate target of 2.06 mbpd.
"This discovery underscores the importance of disciplined exploration programs and the positive impact of the reforms introduced under the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA)," stated Udy Ntia, NNPC’s Executive Vice President of Upstream.
The NNPC/CNL Joint Venture (where NNPC holds 60% and Chevron 40%) currently aims to push its specific joint output toward 146,000 bpd to support national revenue targets and local energy security.
Next Steps for the Asset
The JV partners are now moving into the "maturation" phase, which involves:
Technical Integration: Integrating the new data into the field's master development plan.
Monetization Strategy: Determining the fastest route to tie the Awodi-07 well into existing offshore infrastructure.
Production Spud: Targeting first oil from these new sands by late 2026 or early 2027.
