Belemaoil Producing, a Nigerian independent producer, has restarted operations at its Oil Mining Lease 55 after a three-year shutdown, which was caused by damage from theft at the facility.
In February 2015, Belemaoil acquired OML 55, situated about 40 km west of the Bonny oil export terminal in a swampy to shallow water area, from Chevron Corp.
Operations at OML 55 were halted in 2021 due to rampant oil theft from its delivery line to the Bonny terminal. According to the company, the block contains five oilfields that produce about 14,000 barrels per day and more than 70 million standard cubic feet of gas per day.
The arrival of the first floating oil storage vessel at OML 55 on Oct. 6 marked “a major milestone in the company’s efforts to restart production”, the spokesperson said.
Nigeria, Africa’s leading oil producer, is working to increase crude output, which has declined in recent years due to extensive theft and sabotage. This situation has prompted oil majors to abandon onshore drilling and shift their focus to deepwater production.
