Nigeria’s targets of 4 million barrels per day (mbpd) of oil production and 40 billion barrels of reserve by 2010, grossly threatened by sabotage attacks in the Niger Delta, may yet be achieved, thanks to the nation’s bludgeoning deep offshore fields.
On-shore oil production has continued to suffer shut-in due to militant attacks on oil personnel and production facilities but with the coming on stream of the giant 620 million barrels Akpo deep offshore field operated by Total Upstream Nigeria Limited (TUPNI), and several offshore fields near ready to begin production, analysts say Nigeria’s quest to raise daily production and boost reserves may well be on course.