TotalEnergies Begins Fresh Drilling in Nigeria’s Akpo Field

TotalEnergies, a French multinational oil and gas company, has started a new drilling campaign in Nigeria’s Akpo field, according to reports. The deepwater rig was deployed for this purpose, raising anticipation in the Nigerian oil sector. However, there is ongoing debate about the absence of publicly identifiable host community trusts for the offshore operations, which Nigeria’s oil regulator linked to littoral communities in Rivers and Bayelsa states. This issue has sparked concerns about the transparency and fairness of the arrangements. According to Premium Times Nigeria, TotalEnergies has not yet responded to queries regarding the host community trusts. The deployment of the deepwater rig to Akpo is significant as it marks the company’s continued commitment to exploration and production in Nigeria. The Akpo field, located in the Deepwater Agbami block, is jointly operated by TotalEnergies and other international oil companies. The field has been producing oil since 2009. This development underscores the potential for growth in the Nigerian oil industry, given the right conditions and practices.