Nigeria Deepwater Output Falls 20%, Chevron, TotalEnergies Fast-track Drilling Campaigns

Canada’s Meren Energy has said appraisal and infill drilling at the Chevron-operated Ikija and Agbami oil fields, offshore Nigeria, has been brought forward into the fourth quarter of this year.

Meren has an eight per cent stake in the undeveloped Ikija and producing Agbami fields, where the latest drilling work had been planned for the first quarter of 2027.

Infill drilling is one method international operators are using to reverse a fall in Nigerian offshore production.

Combined output of the seven Nigerian deepwater leases operated by international oil companies was 352,000 b/d in the first four months of 2026, down by 20pc on the year according to upstream regulator NUPRC. Output was 704,000 b/d in the first half of 2020, when NUPRC data began.

Production of the very light Agbami, which Argus categorises as crude but that Nigerian authorities define as condensate, was 63,000 b/d in January-April, down by 20pc on the year according to NUPRC.

Meren said Agbami’s output had “to recover” from maintenance ” on the floating production, storage and offloading (FPSO) facility in November–December.

The drilling campaign is planned to start with an appraisal well at Ikija. First oil is expected in 2032, Meren previously said, with the field to be developed as a tie-back to the Agbami FPSO.

“The broader infill drilling [for] Agbami remains on track, with six infill wells currently planned across 2027 and 2028”, Meren said.

It also said TotalEnergies is on course to mobilise a rig for an extensive drilling campaign that will start with the Akpo Far East exploration well in the second half of this year. Meren has a 32pc stake in the TotalEnergies-operated Akpo, Akpo Far East, Akpo South, Egina and Preowei fields.

Akpo Far East is estimated to hold about 144mn bl of oil equivalent with the targeted liquids similar to the condensate produced from the Akpo field. Successful exploration drilling will utilise existing infrastructure, including the AkpoFPSO.

TotalEnergies will then restart Akpo and Egina infill drilling, having paused this in the third quarter of 2025 while it examined seismic data.

Akpo condensate production was about 46,000 b/d in January-April, down by 18pc on the year. Egina crude output was about 51,000 b/d, down by 25pc. Infill drilling is expected to add to production from early 2027, Meren said, and intervention activities will boost production this year.

Meren said an Egina South appraisal well is planned for this year.