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Contrary to the claim by the Chairman of the Senate Committee on
Business and Rules, Senator Ita Enang, last week that 83 per cent of oil
blocks in the country are owned by northerners, investigations by
THISDAY have revealed that 88 per cent of the oil blocks are owned by
multinational oil companies.
On the other hand, indigenous oil operators or Nigerian companies control only about 11 per cent, confirming the assertion by human rights lawyer, Femi Falana, last week that oil majors control and manage the lion’s share of the Nigerian oil and gas industry.
THISDAY had also pointedly observed that Enang’s allegation referred to only indigenous oil operations, not total oil output in the country.
Investigations also revealed that even among indigenous oil operators, northern shareholders/directors do not account/own 83 per cent of local oil output, as Enang’s list left out several oil blocks that had been awarded over the years to Nigerian companies and failed to include oil concessions awarded from 1999 to date.
A breakdown of oil leases granted operators showed that the total number of Oil Mining Leases (OMLs) in operation by December ending 2012 was 109, while Oil Prospecting Leases (OPLs) stood at 92.
The Federal Government had in 2012 set a production target of 2.48 million barrels per day (mbpd), of which 1.5 million barrels of oil per day (mbpd) were expected from the onshore and shallower water terrain, while deepwater concessions accounted for 900,800 bpd, which are currently controlled by the multinational companies.
On the other hand, indigenous oil operators or Nigerian companies control only about 11 per cent, confirming the assertion by human rights lawyer, Femi Falana, last week that oil majors control and manage the lion’s share of the Nigerian oil and gas industry.
THISDAY had also pointedly observed that Enang’s allegation referred to only indigenous oil operations, not total oil output in the country.
Investigations also revealed that even among indigenous oil operators, northern shareholders/directors do not account/own 83 per cent of local oil output, as Enang’s list left out several oil blocks that had been awarded over the years to Nigerian companies and failed to include oil concessions awarded from 1999 to date.
A breakdown of oil leases granted operators showed that the total number of Oil Mining Leases (OMLs) in operation by December ending 2012 was 109, while Oil Prospecting Leases (OPLs) stood at 92.
The Federal Government had in 2012 set a production target of 2.48 million barrels per day (mbpd), of which 1.5 million barrels of oil per day (mbpd) were expected from the onshore and shallower water terrain, while deepwater concessions accounted for 900,800 bpd, which are currently controlled by the multinational companies.
Of the 2.48 mbpd produced last year, the entire production by indigenous companies totalled 276,000 bpd, accounting for about 11 per cent of Nigeria’s production.
Among the IOCs, Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) produced 605,539 bpd, Mobil Producing Nigeria Unlimited (Exxon Mobil) - 528,000 bpd, Chevron Nigeria - 489,999 bpd, Total Elf - 400,134 bpd, Agip – 98,284 bpd; and Addax - 90,489 bpd respectively.
In comparison, local oil companies led by the Nigerian Petroleum Development Company (NPDC), the exploration and production arm of the NNPC produced 125,828 bpd in 2012, Seplat Petroleum - 40,033 bpd, Pan Ocean - 7,387 bpd, while others described as independent marginals produced 102,797bpd.
A detailed breakdown of indigenous concessions and their directors/shareholders are shown in the table from this link: OIL BLOCK OWNERS
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