Oil workers in Nigeria
African divestment deals are back in the frame
After some delay, the much-heralded sale of oil and gas companies’ mature upstream assets in sub-Saharan Africa has gained fresh momentum, with a clutch of deals reaching completion
The Nigerian government has approved the sale of ExxonMobil’s onshore Nigerian assets to domestic company Seplat Energy, more than two years after the $1.28b deal was first announced, Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) CEO Gbenga Komolafe has confirmed. This landmark transaction, focused on ExxonMobil’s shallow-water holdings, follows formerly state-controlled Nigerian National Petroleum Company’s (NNPC’s) withdrawal of a legal challenge to a deal that will nearly treble London-listed Seplat’s production to 151,000boe/d. In Nigeria, at least, the sense has grown in recent months that the obstacles stymieing deals are evaporating. “The majors are exiting land and
Also in this section
7 May 2025
From China blocking US LNG to Trump demanding that various countries import more of the fuel, the politicisation of LNG is on the rise
6 May 2025
Sino-US trade tensions could see crude consumption crumble despite recent buying behaviour
5 May 2025
The country is seeing a notable increase in petroleum product retail outlets, with private operators gaining market share
2 May 2025
Fast-tracking US project approvals and increased trade pressures have already changed the LNG landscape since Trump came to office, with further transformation ahead
