Kachikwu: Nigeria’s Daily Oil Production Expected to Rise to 2.2mbd in 2019

By Chineme Okafor in Abuja

Nigeria’s oil production is set for a timely boost, climbing to around 2.2 million barrels per day (mbd) by early 2019 with the start-up of the giant 200,000 barrels per day (bd) Egina field, the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Dr. Ibe Kachikwu, has said.

Speaking on Tuesday in an interview with S&P Global Platts on the side-lines of the Africa Oil Week conference in Cape Town South Africa, Kachikwu stated that production from Egina field will boost Nigeria’s oil production by 200,000bd.

He also acknowledged there have been delays in the planned revamp of the four petroleum refineries owned by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) in Kaduna, Warri and Port Harcourt, and noted he was hopeful the government would pin down details on the overhaul of the refineries by the end of this year, after which work could commence by early 2019.

“Egina should come into production in December or maybe January…Hopefully, that should lift us closer to 2.15 million-2.2 million by the start of next year barring any unforeseen shutdowns,” said Kachikwu in the interview THISDAY obtained in Abuja.

While the country has reportedly not seen any major new oil projects in the last five years, the $16 billion Egina deep-water project by Total is seen to be pivotal to Nigeria’s production increment plans. The project is at the moment the biggest oil and gas investment in Nigeria and will boost the country plateauing crude production by over 10 per cent.

Production from the Egina field is reportedly due to start next month at around 150,000bd and could ramp up to 200,000bd after about six months. Kachikwu, however said foreign investment in the country’s oil industry had improved and was “reasonably good”.

He further noted that production could rise by a further 200,000 to 400,000bd over the next few years, “if we get the right sort of financial investments that are required”.

According to him, “Longer term it (the target) is around 2.5mbd and I think you could see it creep up to 3mbd in the next eight to 10 years.”

The minister said the Bonga Southwest and Zabazaba projects were the two upstream investments that could propel oil production further.

In April, records from the NNPC indicated Nigeria’s oil output was around 1.8mbd of oil and condensate. The country’s output slumped to around 1.1mbd in 2016 due to attacks on its key oil infrastructure in the oil-rich Niger Delta.

But Kachikwu said in the interview that oil output was just below 2mbd with crude accounting for around 1.6mbd and condensate comprising some 400,000bd.

On refineries’ revamp, he said: “Before the end of the year, we should see a sign-off and actually physical construction and works could start early-2019,” while acknowledging that the process had been beset by delays.

The NNPC had two weeks ago stated that it was in talks with prospective financiers to carry out the repair of the refineries in an attempt to substantially increase local supply of petroleum products and as well end importation of same.

The refineries revamp plan involves securing financiers’ money to fund the refineries’ repairs, with the investors reimbursed through the off-take of refined products from the plants.

The minister equally spoke on the oil market rebalancing efforts of the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) ahead of their December meeting in Vienna. He said he did not think the OPEC and its allies would change their current output strategy despite recent suggestions they may need to tweak the policy.

Kachikwu said: “I do not think there is a need for any action unless we fully know the impact from Iran. I think there is too much of an alarm. My advice to OPEC is always to be careful of these alarms…I do not believe a big change will be taken at the next meeting.”

Recently, OPEC’s Joint Ministerial Monitoring Committee expressed concerns about macroeconomic uncertainty and rising inventories, saying it might require the group to change course.

However, Kachikwu said OPEC was very comfortable with oil prices nearer to $70 per barrel, despite the sharp drop in prices from above $80 per barrel a few weeks ago.