The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd) has congratulated Chevron Nigeria Limited (CNL), operator of the NNPC Ltd/CNL Joint Venture, on the successful completion of the Awodi-07 appraisal and exploration well located in the shallow offshore western Niger Delta.
A statement by NNPC Ltd's Chief Corporate Communications Officer, Andy Odeh, stated that the Awodi-07 well was drilled as part of the Joint Venture's ongoing efforts to further delineate and unlock hydrocarbon potential within its asset portfolio.
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It stated that through the collaboration, the partners aim to increase oil production to about 146,000 barrels per day, which would support government revenue, create jobs, and contribute to the country's energy supply.
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It said NNPC Limited and Chevron Nigeria Ltd work together under a joint venture agreement to operate several oil and gas fields in Nigeria's Niger Delta.
"In this partnership, Chevron owns 40 per cent of the assets, while NNPC Limited holds the remaining share. The arrangement allows both companies to combine resources, expertise, and investment to develop Nigeria's oil and gas resources more effectively.'
It said drilling operations commenced in late November 2025 and were concluded in mid-December 2025, with all activities executed safely, efficiently, and in strict compliance with approved operational and regulatory standards.
It added that following the completion of comprehensive testing, logging, and data acquisition, the well was safely secured, bringing the programme to a successful close.
"Results from the well are highly encouraging, confirming a significant presence of hydrocarbons across multiple reservoir zones. This outcome represents a notable milestone for the NNPC Ltd/CNL Joint Venture on strengthening confidence in the underlying asset and reinforcing the prospectivity of the area. The success of Awodi-07 further highlights the effectiveness of disciplined exploration, sound technical evaluation, and the strong operational collaboration between NNPC Ltd and its Joint Venture partner," the NNPC said.
Commenting on the achievement, the Group Chief Executive Officer of NNPC Ltd, Engr. Bashir Bayo Ojulari, commended Chevron Nigeria Limited for its operational excellence, technical competence, and consistent delivery of value.
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"The success of the Awodi-07 well further reinforces the strength of the NNPC Ltd/CNL Joint Venture and our shared commitment to responsibly growing Nigeria's hydrocarbon reserves. This achievement aligns squarely with our strategic priorities of increasing production, enhancing national energy security, and delivering sustainable value for the Nigerian people," he stated.
The Executive Vice President, Upstream, NNPC Ltd, Mr. Udy Ntia, described the Awodi-07 results as a clear demonstration of the value of sustained collaboration, technical rigour, and a stable, enabling operating environment.
"This discovery underscores the importance of disciplined exploration programmes, strong partnerships, and the positive impact of the reforms introduced under the Petroleum Industry Act. We look forward to working closely with Chevron Nigeria Limited to mature this opportunity and progress it towards timely development and monetisation.
Jim Swartz, Chairman & Managing Director, Chevron Nigeria/Mid Africa Region, in a statement by Chevron emphasised the significance of this discovery.
He said, "The Awodi-07 success demonstrates the strength of our exploration program and the value of collaboration with our senior partner, NNPCL, reinforcing the NNPCL/CNL JV's commitment to sustaining production growth."
Also, Kevin McLachlan, Vice President - Exploration, 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."
