Nigeria has long been a key hub for oil and gas development in Africa, with significant oil reserves spanning the country. With such a wealth of reserves, energy giants from across the world are seeking vital exploration and production operations within the country to bring these resources to market and support Nigeria’s development as a global oil and gas producer. One of the companies committed to advancing Nigeria’s oil and gas development is Chevron Nigeria, which is one of the country’s largest oil producers and a company that continues to invest in its development.
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Chevron is one of the world’s leading integrated energy companies, which is focused on delivering cleaner, more affordable and reliable energy across the world to fuel human progress. In Nigeria, Chevron brings its expertise in the global energy sector to key projects through its subsidiary Chevron Nigeria Limited (Chevron Nigeria). Chevron Nigeria operates and holds a 40% interest in eight concessions spanning Nigeria’s onshore and near-shore regions of the Niger Delta, which are held under a joint-venture arrangement with the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC). Together, Chevron Nigeria and NNPC develop shallow and onshore oil and gas assets across the Niger Delta, intending to boost their output and develop Nigeria’s hydrocarbon market towards the future.
One of the most significant fields operated by Chevron Nigeria under the joint venture partnership is the Agbami Field. The field is located 70 miles off the central Niger Delta region and covers approximately 45,000 acres. The initial discovery at Agbami was made in 1998, at water depths of around 4,800 feet (ft), and represents one of the largest deepwater discoveries to date in Nigeria, with an estimated recovered reserve of 900 million barrels. Production began at the Agbami Field in 2008, with the help of the Agbami Floating Production Storage and Offloading (FPSO) vessel. The FPSO has a 250,000 barrels per day production capacity, and an additional 450 Million Standard Cubic Feet per day (MMscf/d) of injected water. Plus, the FPSO can store up to 2.2 million barrels of oil and is designed to be on location for 20 years. For Chevron Nigeria and NNPC, the field represents not only a new source of energy supply, but it also provides employment and economic opportunities for the local communities in Nigeria throughout its development.
Another key development is the Usan Field, where Chevron Nigeria has a 30% non-operated working interest. The field is a major deepwater oil field, located offshore Nigeria, and has been producing oil since 2012. The field is operated by TotalEnergies, but Chevron Nigeria’s working interest represents its commitment to investing in key energy developments across Nigeria to enhance its continued economic growth and deliver it as a thriving and well-supported oil and gas development hub. However, in recent months, one of the most exciting developments for Chevron in Nigeria is the Aparao Field, where proposed development plans outline a key subsea well development that will be tied back to an FPSO vessel to deliver vital resources for the country. The discovery was made in 2001, and it is estimated to hold over 750 million barrels of oil equivalent. The development is a major deepwater asset, which shares common geological structures with the Shell-operated Bonga Southwest field in Oil Mining Lease (OML) 118. Thus, the field is currently in joint development along with other major oil firms such as Shell and Eni, and will represent a significant oil deposit for both Nigeria and Chevron.
With major deepwater production developments already underway, Chevron Nigeria is also focused on vital exploration operations. These exploration projects include a 55% interest in OML 140, which is located in 8,000ft of water and 90 miles off the coast of the Western Niger Delta region and includes the Nisko discoveries. In addition, Chevron Nigeria also has a 30% non-operated working interest in OML 138, which already has the Usan Discovery and several satellite discoveries. Alongside this, Chevron Nigeria has a 27% interest in adjacent licenses OML 139 and OML 154. Then, Chevron Nigeria is working to develop multiple further discoveries in the Usan area, including the Owowo Field, which is located across the border of both the OML 139 and OML 154 licenses. This continued expansion of vital exploration licenses across Nigeria’s hydrocarbon sector highlights Chevron Nigeria’s continued investment and commitment to delivering vital energy developments for the country.
Aside from oil development, Chevron Nigeria also has vital natural gas projects spanning the Niger Delta and Escravos areas. These include the Escravos Gas Plant (EGP), which is operated by Chevron Nigeria and has a total capacity of 680 million cubic feet per day of natural gas and liquified petroleum gas (LPG), as well as condensate exports of 58,000 barrels per day. Alongside EGP is the Escravos Gas-to-Liquids (EGTL) facility, which is operated by Chevron Nigeria and NNPC, and produces 33,000 barrels per day. These are linked with the Sonam Field Development Project under Chevron Nigeria, which is designed to process the natural gas from EGP and deliver it to domestic gas markets.
One of the most significant natural gas developments for Nigeria is the West African Gas Pipeline, which supplies customers across Benin, Ghana, and Togo with natural gas from Nigeria for power generation and industrial applications. The pipeline is owned by the West African Gas Pipeline Company Limited, of which Chevron is the largest shareholder with a 36.7% interest. Therefore, the pipeline is vital to Nigeria’s total natural gas development, and especially for Chevron Nigeria’s operations, as the pipeline has the capacity to transport around 170 million cubic feet of natural gas per day via the pipeline. Thus, the pipeline is vital to Nigeria’s continued development as it is used to support power and industries across Africa, cementing Nigeria’s place as a key energy producer.
In January, Chevron Nigeria completed the successful appraisal of an exploration well, Awodi-07, in the shallow offshore western Niger Delta. The well was drilled as part of Chevron Nigeria and NNPC’s ongoing joint venture efforts across the region to highlight and deliver more hydrocarbon for Nigeria, adding to its asset portfolio. Drilling of Awodi-07 began in November 2025 and concluded in December 2025. The drilling highlighted the presence of significant hydrocarbons across multiple reservoir zones. The development of significant hydrocarbons in this new well is a key milestone for the joint venture, bringing yet another vital prospect to the region and strengthening Chevron Nigeria’s exploration and production development. Together, NNPC and Chevron Nigeria aim to increase oil production to around 146,000 barrels per day, which in turn will support the Nigerian economy, bringing government revenue, jobs, and also contributing significantly to the country’s total energy supply.
Aside from its oil and gas production and exploration projects, Chevron Nigeria is also passionate about being a vital corporate citizen in Nigeria, and so it delivers key health, education and economic development projects alongside its exploration and production in the hydrocarbon sector. A key driver behind this is the adoption of the Global Memorandum of Understanding by Chevron Nigeria for community engagement in the Niger Delta. The approach aims to give communities a greater role in managing their development through regional development communities. As part of this, the Chevron Nigeria and NNPC joint venture has spent more than $110 million on roughly 600 programs that have provided scholarships, supported agriculture and infrastructure development, and built new schools, medical facilities and houses. These projects work with the local communities in which their operations are located to ensure that, throughout their delivery of vital energy resources, the partners are also protecting, supporting and giving back to the local community.
In Nigeria, Chevron Nigeria is leading the way, providing vital exploration and production operations that are developing new and existing fields across the Niger Delta. With its vital work alongside NNPC, the two are bringing significant investment and growth to Nigeria’s energy sector. However, behind every development, community development remains a central focus to ensure that its energy projects continue to support local communities in Nigeria and the country as a whole. With new vital discoveries, such as Awodi-07, we look forward to seeing how Chevron Nigeria will continue to enhance Nigeria’s hydrocarbon market and solidify the country’s place as a global energy producer.
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