Oritsegbubemi Omatseyin
Lagos — The Nigeria National Petroleum Company Limited/Chevron Nigeria Limited Joint Venture, NNPC/CNL JV, has announced the successful completion of the Awodi-07 appraisal and exploration well in the shallow offshore area within the western Niger Delta region of Nigeria.
A statement signed by the Chief Corporate Affairs Officer, Nigeria/Mid-Africa Region, Olusoga Oduselu, revealed that the well which was spud on November 30, 2025, reached a total depth of 12,420 ft MD / 11,303 ft TVD on December 16, 2025, and has now been safely plugged and suspended following completion of wireline and fluid sampling operations on December 28, 2025.
“Awodi-07 encountered approximately 675 feet of hydrocarbon pay, comprising appraisal reservoirs: 310 feet, in line with predrill expectations, unlocking development potential. Exploration targets: 365 feet across six hydrocarbon-bearing sands,” the statement read.
The Chairman & Managing Director, Chevron Nigeria/Mid Africa Region, Jim Swartz, emphasized the significance of this discovery stating: “The Awodi-07 success demonstrates the strength of our exploration program and the value of collaboration with our senior partner, NNPC, reinforcing the NNPC/CNL JV’s commitment to sustaining production growth.”
Reinforcing Jim’s message, Vice President – Exploration, Kevin McLachlan, added: “This discovery comes after two recent exploration successes in Nigeria since late 2024. All three discoveries compliment Chevron’s global exploration strategy to balance infrastructure enabled and frontier activity.”
The achievement aligns with Chevron Nigeria Limited’s commitment to developing and expanding its hydrocarbon resource base, particularly in onshore and shallow water areas. It also supports Chevron’s broader global objective of extending the life of producing assets in existing operating regions while delivering production with shorter development cycle times.
Enabled by the Petroleum Industry Act and ongoing industry reforms, the company said it’s advancing exploration opportunities and converting new discoveries into value for Nigeria through technology, local partnerships, and disciplined development.
The NNPC/CNL JV expressed appreciation to NNPC and regulatory authorities for their continued support: “We appreciate the partnership with NNPCL and the support of our regulators. The NNPC/CNL JV will continue to collaborate closely with the regulators and other stakeholders to ensure compliance with all regulatory requirements.”
