ExxonMobil’s Erha deepwater project generates $70bn in 20 years, $23 to FG

The Chairman and Managing Director of ExxonMobil Affiliates in Nigeria, Mr. Jagir Baxi, has disclosed that the Erha Deepwater project has generated over $70 billion in value over two decades, including approximately $23 billion for the Federal Government.

Baxi made the announcement during a courtesy visit by the Board of ExxonMobil Nigeria and its affiliate, ESSO Exploration and Production Nigeria Limited (EEPNL), to the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Gas), Mr. Ekperikpe Ekpo, at the Ministry of Petroleum Resources, NNPC Towers, Abuja.

The ExxonMobil chief added that the project has driven job creation, strengthened local content, and is currently operated by a workforce that is over 95 per cent Nigerian.

He also commended the Minister’s leadership in advancing Nigeria’s gas development agenda.

In his remarks, Minister Ekpo praised ExxonMobil for sustaining 20 years of production at the Erha Floating Production Storage and Offloading (FPSO) facility, calling the achievement a benchmark in Nigeria’s deepwater operations.

He stated that the two-decade operation reflects exceptional technical expertise, a strong safety culture, and consistent operational discipline in a challenging offshore environment.

“This milestone represents a remarkable demonstration of resilience, efficiency, and long-term commitment to Nigeria’s energy sector,” Ekpo said.

The Minister noted that the Erha project has significantly contributed to national revenue, job creation, and local capacity development, positioning it as a model for sustainable deepwater production.

He urged ExxonMobil to align its operations with Nigeria’s gas development priorities by integrating gas into offshore activities and intensifying efforts in gas development to boost domestic utilisation, exports, and revenue generation.

“As we grow oil output, equal emphasis must be placed on gas development,” he stated.

Ekpo also commended the company’s adherence to local content requirements, noting that over 90 per cent of its workforce are Nigerians with critical industry expertise.

He further reassured ExxonMobil of the Federal Government’s commitment to a stable investment climate, anchored on the Petroleum Industry Act.

EEPNL entered Nigeria’s deepwater frontier in May 1993, acquiring exploration rights to Offshore OPL 209 (later converted to OML 133).

At the time, Nigeria had limited footprint in deepwater operations, fabrication, subsea systems, or FPSO-based production.

By start-up, Erha had recorded over 1.7 million contract man-hours worked in Nigeria, with Nigerians making up 85 per cent of FPSO operations personnel, while hundreds received specialized fabrication, subsea, and offshore training.

After training completion, EEPNL conducted approximately 800 competency assessments across 90 critical operating procedures, ensuring that Nigerian personnel could safely operate and maintain the FPSO and subsea systems.

About The Author

Dele Fashomi

Dele Fashomi, seasoned journalist and communication teacher, is a holder of Master of Arts degree in Communication and Language Arts from the University of Ibadan in 1992/93.

Earlier, he had bagged a Bachelor degree from the same university in 1984, after which he proceeded to the Nigerian Institute of Journalism, Lagos, in 1990, for a postgraduate diploma in Journalism.

He had done many courses in communication, including the EU-BBC Editing Course in 2002.

Mr. Fashomi combines effectively the practice, research and teaching of communication. And to date, he has published two academic works in communication: Issues in Communication Technology and Policy (2010) and Economic and Social Issues in Advertising and PR (2013).

He had his first break in the Nigerian media in Concord Newspapers in 1990 and today, he has over two and half decades experience earned in several newspapers.

He has been part of many start-ups, such as The Republic (1987), The Comet (1999), The Anchor 2001 – 2002; Sun Newspapers (2003); Westerner newsmagazine (2005 – 2010) as Editor; National Life (2011) as Sunday Editor, and Newswatch Newspapers (2012- 2016) as Daily Editor.

Dele Fashomi is now the Publisher/Editor-in-Chief of Newstide247.com newspaper online, which he started in July 2015. He is also into biography writing, with many books in his trail, some of which he wrote alone and one he co- authored with his mentor, Mr Dare Babarinsa, entitled: Olabiyi Durojaiye – DARE TO BE DiFFERENT. He also guided and collaborated with Pa Olatunji Odusanya in writing his autobiography – AGAINST ALL ODDS. There are many other books in the works under his pen.

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