•$8bn Bonga Southwest-Aparo field nears FID as IMA project takes off 2026

•Operators accelerate ongoing projects to meet Nigeria’s 3m bpd, 12bcf/d target

Peter Uzoho

Multinational oil companies – Shell and TotalEnergies have announced that first oil and gas output from the $5 billion Bonga North field and the $550 million Ubeta gas field are expected to happen by 2027, barring any unforeseen circumstances.

The two oil majors are also aggressively progressing towards bringing more projects to development phase, with Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Company Limited (SNEPCo) saying that its Bonga Southwest-Aparo field was exceptionally closed to FID while HI gas field was also progressing towards approval for takeoff.

On the other hand, TotalEnergies EP Nigeria Limited anticipates signing the FID on IMA project in 2026, while its recently discovered field, Ntokon is also in discussion for commencement of execution in the coming years.

However, the operators are accelerating the execution schedule of their ongoing projects to get first production earlier to support the county’s target of raising oil production to 3 million barrels per day (bpd) and gas output to 12 billion cubic feet per day (12bcf/d) by 2030.

Country Chair of TotalEnergies in Nigeria, MatthieuBouyer, and Managing Director of SNEPCo, Ronald Adams, made the announcements in their separate interventions during a high-level panel session at the just-concluded Nigerian Oil and Gas (NOG) Energy Week 2025 in Abuja

Speaking at the session titled: “Pragmatically Achieving Energy Abundance,” Bouyer said TotalEnergies was taking a bold step in supporting Nigeria’s energy goals with the Ubeta gas field project in the oil mining lease (OML) 58 onshore license in Nigeria, now in its execution phase.

He said the Ubeta project was set to deliver a plateau of around 70,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day including condensates, a significant contribution to Nigeria’s gas development ambitions.

“The 70,000 bpd from Ubeta is a major milestone, and first gas/commissioning is expected by 2027,” Bouyer noted.

The country chair also informed the participants of TotalEnergies IMA field, located within the OML112 and 117 under the AMNI/TEPNG Joint Venture 15km off the southeast coast of Nigeria.

He said the project was currently at Front End Engineering Design (FEED) Phase and the gas field, which has a plateau of around 70,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day, similarly to Ubeta, was expected to get its FID in 2026.

Bouyer highlighted the company’s recent achievements, including a discovery in Ntokon two years ago, which is now progressing toward development, and the acquisition of additional new oil blocks in the past year.

On innovation and sustainability, BouyeremphasisedTotalEnergies’ commitment to cleaner operations.

“We’re deploying more advanced technology than ever to extract more oil and gas with fewer emissions. For instance, we use drone-based AUSEA (Airborne Ultralight Spectrometer for Environmental Application) technology on our upstream operations to detect methane leaks. 

“We are also in partnership with NNPC Limited on this initiative. We’re here to support Nigeria, and we’re doing it sustainably,” he said.

Bouyer also spoke on the company’s integrated approach to energy, from exploration to retail, and its active role in the domestic gas market, particularly through its stake in Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG) Train 7.

He noted that while TotalEnergies’ renewable energy footprint in Nigeria was still modest, it remains a growing area of focus.

Bouyer told the audience that TotalEnergies was committed to Nigeria for the long term.

According to him, TotalEnergies EP Strategy of More Energy, Less Emissions was guiding all the company’s operations in Nigeria and aligns with the Nigerian government’s policies and programmes.

Bouyer expressed gratitude to the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) and the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC) for their continued support, which he said has positioned TotalEnergies ahead.

In his separate interventions at the session, Managing Director of SNEPCo, Adams, revealed the company’s plan of taking FID on Bonga Southwest-Aparo and HI fields, to further demonstrate its long-term play in Nigeria.

He said Bonga North deep water field which was now in the development phase, anticipates will hit its first oil by mid-2027.

SNEPCo is also developing the Iseni gas field to bring more gas to the surface.

Adams said, “So, clearly, there’s a lot going on, and just to remind us, we started December last year from a Shell standpoint. We had FID on the Bonga North project, which is a $5 billion U.S. project. The first of that nature in over a decade.

“I’m happy to say that we are well into execution with the Bonga North project. And that’s just the start. We’re talking about a project that’s going to bring at least 100,000 barrels of oil per day into the system.

“And we are pushing and working on an accelerated project schedule, which will perhaps see us bring first oil around the middle of 2027. So this is excellent work. It’s such a huge project.”

Aside Bonga North, Adams said Bonga Southwest-Aparo project, with an estimated cost of $8 billion was also on its way to FID.

 “I’m happy to say that there’s another particular project that has been talked about, has gotten close to approval for perhaps more than two decades. I’m happy to say that the Bonga Southwest-Aparo project is well on its way.

“A lot of work has been done in the last several months. And as we all have been saying, the stars are currently aligned. In other words, if we cannot get this project FID this time, then perhaps it will never happen.

“So the kind of incentives, the kind of progress that this government has made, and the type of collaboration that’s taking place now, this is the best time for us. This is an $8 billion project. Again, think about that, adding on top of Bonga North”, he said.

He thanked the federal government for working hard with all stakeholders to improve the environment and encourage investments in Nigeria’s oil and gas industry, adding that the kind of collaboration happening in the industry now had never happened in the past.

Adams equally advised that government incentives and policies must also focus on unlocking Nigeria’s non-associated gas potential.

In that regard, he said whilst SNEPCo was working with the NNPC and the government, the company was also looking at specific projects which will have the ability to unlock significant gas reserves.

 “I’m talking about HI, which is in shallow water right now. And let me just say, in terms of FID, we are exceptionally close to FID on HI.

“This is more gas. And therefore, this is gas that will also go towards feeding NLNG. Again, this just demonstrates that Nigeria plays an important role in the gas space”, Adams noted.

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