From Femi Folaranmi, Yenagoa
The Federal Government has called on International Oil Companies (IOCs) operating in Nigeria to ramp up investments in the country’s oil and gas sector, emphasising that the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has provided every necessary incentive to ensure seamless and profitable operations.
The Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Oil), Heineken Lokpobiri, made this statement at the Cross Industry Group (CIG) meeting held in Florence, Italy, organised by IOCs operating in Nigeria.
Speaking at the event, Sen. Lokpobiri noted that while IOCs have pointed to Engineering, Procurement, and Construction (EPC) contractors as a challenge, EPCs will only commit when they see strong investment decisions from industry players.
“The government has done its part by providing the requisite and investment-friendly fiscal policies, including the President’s Executive Order incentivising deepwater investments. Now, the ball is in the court of the IOCs and other operators to make strategic investment decisions that will drive increased production and sustainability in the sector,” the minister stated.
He further emphasised the need for IOCs to support local refining efforts, noting that more refineries are coming on stream and will require a steady supply of crude oil. According to Lokpobiri, in line with the Federal Government’s drive to boost production, it would begin implementing the “drill or drop” provisions of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) where necessary.
“We cannot continue to have assets sitting idle for 20 to 30 years without development. If you are not utilising an asset and it remains underdeveloped for decades, it neither adds value to your books nor to us as a country. We encourage industry players to explore collaborative measures such as shared resources for contiguous assets, farm-outs, and the release of underutilised assets to operators ready to invest in production. Otherwise, like any responsible government, we will take back these assets and allocate them to those willing to go to work,” he said.
The minister also urged operators to consider farm-out agreements where assets are close to existing infrastructure rather than incurring high costs on new Floating Production Storage and Offloading (FPSO) units.
The Chairman of the Oil Producers Trade Section (OPTS), Mr. Osagie Osunbor, commended the Minister for his direct engagement with industry players and for the Federal Government’s continued efforts in advancing the sector.