This article is about the leading locations of crude oil in Nigeria today. Nigeria is one of the top exporters of Petroleum in the world and crude oil, also known as “black gold” was discovered for the first time in Nigeria by Shell D’Arcy Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria, in the year 1956 in Oloibiri, Ogbia LGA in Bayelsa State, a Niger-Delta State located in the south-south geopolitical zone of Nigeria, which also ranks as one of the leading oil producing States in the country as well as one of the richest States in Nigeria today.
Before oil was discovered in 1956 in Oloibiri, Shell had already commenced drilling operations in the Niger-Delta beginning from 1951, with the first test well drilled in Owerri. Crude oil was however discovered in non-commercial quantities at Akata, near Eket, Akwa Ibom State in 1953. The breakthrough for Shell came after spending millions of pounds in oil exploration when crude oil was found in commercial quantity in Oloibiri and this has led to many other discoveries of crude oil in commercial quantity in the Niger-Delta region to this present day.
Shell-BP was the sole concessionaire of oil exploration in Nigeria until other oil companies began to spring up and were later given onshore and offshore petroleum exploratory rights from 1960 till date. There are about 159 oil fields and 1481 oil wells in operation in Nigeria today and this data is according to the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission; with the most productive oil fields situated in the Niger-Delta which houses 78 oil fields.
Shell made giant strides in the year 1965 when the company discovered the EA oil field in the shallow waters of the south-eastern part of Warri in Delta State. After the Nigerian Civil War in the year 1970, increase in oil prices came as a result of the oil boom and this signalled a period of abundance in Nigeria. Thus with her new found wealth, Nigeria became a member of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), and in 1977, established the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), now NNPC Limited, a State-owned oil company to actively participate in the upstream and downstream petroleum sector in the country.
According to the NNPC, Nigeria currently produces about 1.67 million barrels of crude oil per day, effectively making her the largest producer of crude oil in Africa. With that said, let us now take a look at the top locations where crude oil can be found in abundance in Nigeria.
TOP LOCATIONS OF CRUDE OIL IN NIGERIA TODAY
The following are the leading locations of crude oil in Nigeria today in alphabetical order:
ABIA STATE
There are over 100 oil wells and 3 installed flow stations in Abia State currently, and as at 2012, it was revealed by the Boundary Commission that 42 oil wells had been returned to Abia State from Rivers State, making Abia the fourth largest producer of crude oil in Nigeria. Abia State produces about 36,000 barrels of crude oil per day; 23,000 barrels per day at Imoturu while the Isimili flow station produces over 9,000 barrels of crude oil per day. The most licenses for oil wells in Abia State are held by Shell and the company plans to own up to 50 wells in the State as its target in the foreseeable future.
AKWA IBOM STATE
Akwa Ibom State is the largest oil producing State in Nigeria today with crude oil production totalling over 500,000 barrels per day.
BAYELSA STATE
Bayelsa State also ranks as one of the top locations of crude oil in Nigeria today considering the huge crude oil and natural gas deposits that are domiciled in the State. It is also one of the richest States in Nigeria today.
DELTA STATE
The Big Heart as it is popularly known via its slogan, Delta State today, ranks as the second highest producer of crude oil and natural gas in Nigeria today with a total output of 346,000 barrels per day. Delta State, like Bayelsa, houses one of the largest crude oil and natural gas deposits in the country. Delta State also has natural mineral resources like limestone, decorative rocks, tar sand, kaolin, lignite, silica and industrial clay in abundance.
EDO STATE
Edo State currently ranks as the seventh major producer of oil and gas in Nigeria today with a total output of 33,000 barrels per day. The State is located in the south-south geopolitical zone of Nigeria and it forms part of the Niger-Delta region.
IMO STATE
There are over 163 oil wells situated at over 12 different locations in Imo State today, making it one of the highest oil producing States in Nigeria currently. Petroleum companies that can be found in the State include: Addax Petroleum, Chevron Corporation, Royal Dutch Shell and Agip.
LAGOS STATE
Lagos State is the 6th leading crude oil location in Nigeria today with a total production estimated at 40,000 barrels per day. TheFederal Government approved four of the five oil-producing Aje wells in the State in 2016, making Lagos State the most recent addition to the list of highest oil producing States in Nigeria currently. Lagos State however, isn’t totally reliant on crude oil for its internally generated revenue.
RIVERS STATE
Rivers State completes this list of major crude oil locations in Nigeria today. The State produces an estimated 344,000 barrels of crude oil per day, and it houses several indigenous and multinational oil companies in Port Harcourt, its capital city. Some of these companies include: Shell Petroleum Development Company, Chevron, Total Nigeria, to mention but a few.
