Oil & Gas
By Anthony Isibor
ND Western says it plans to drill 20 new wells over the next three years as part of a broader strategy to maximise production from its mature oil and gas assets.
The Chief Executive Officer of the company, Lanre Kalejaiye, disclosed the plans while speaking during the strategic panel session on production optimisation at the 2026 Nigeria Oil and Gas Energy Week.
Kalejaiye stated that OML 34, jointly operated with NNPC Limited, remains significantly underdeveloped despite more than six decades of production history.
The asset, he explains, covers about 950 square kilometres and contains between two and three trillion cubic feet of gas reserves alongside approximately 200 million barrels of oil.
He noted that between 60 and 80 per cent of the resources remain undeveloped, providing substantial opportunities for future production growth.
To unlock the reserves, ND Western intends to drill 10 gas wells and 10 oil wells over the next three years.
However, Kalejaiye stressed that drilling alone would not achieve production optimisation.
He explained that the company has adopted an integrated strategy that begins with reservoir management and extends through well design, production systems and export infrastructure.
Among the technologies being deployed are horizontal drilling and dual-completion wells, allowing operators to produce hydrocarbons from multiple reservoir intervals through a single well.
The company is also expanding the use of artificial lift systems, particularly gas-lift technology, to sustain production from mature fields and improve ultimate recovery.
According to Kalejaiye, combining improved reservoir understanding with modern drilling and production technologies will enable indigenous operators to maximise output while slowing natural production decline.
He added that optimising mature assets remains one of the fastest and most cost-effective ways of increasing Nigeria’s oil and gas production without waiting for entirely new developments.
A.I
July 8, 2026
Tags: 2026 Nigeria Oil and Gas Energy Week. LANRE Kalejaiye ND western