Nestoil Group has invested approximately $28 million in two drilling rigs as part of its efforts to increase crude oil production and expand indigenous drilling capacity in Nigeria.
The company disclosed this in a statement on Monday, explaining that its strategic business unit, Scorpio Drilling International, recently deployed the Pathfinder 500 rig to Oil Mining Lease (OML) 42.
The rig successfully completed workover operations on two producing wells without recording any Health, Safety and Environment (HSE) incidents.
According to Nestoil, the operation helped increase oil production from the asset and represented the first productive deployment of the Pathfinder 500 since the company acquired it about eight years ago.
Nestoil/Neconde Group Chairman, Dr. Ernest Azudialu Obiejesi, described the successful mobilisation and deployment of the rig as an important milestone for both the Group and Nigeria’s indigenous drilling sector.
Obiejesi said the decision to invest in the two drilling rigs was motivated by the need to reduce the company’s reliance on rented drilling equipment, which he said had become increasingly expensive and difficult to obtain within Nigeria’s operating environment.
As an asset owner in OML 42, he explained that Nestoil needed dependable in-house drilling capabilities to carry out workovers, restore mature wells and eventually drill new wells as development of the field progresses.
With the successful deployment of the Pathfinder 500, Obiejesi said the Group is now better positioned to begin its planned in-field drilling programme in OML 42.
He further revealed that the refurbishment, staffing and deployment of the rig were carried out entirely by Nigerian personnel, with the current crew made up of 100 per cent Nigerians.
According to Obiejesi, the availability of experienced Nigerian drilling professionals is the result of decades of skills and capacity development by international oil companies operating in the country.
The Nestoil chairman said the achievement demonstrates that Nigeria has developed the technical expertise required to handle complex drilling operations.
He added that Nigerian professionals are now also offering their expertise and services in other oil-producing countries.
Obiejesi praised the teams at Scorpio Drilling International and other stakeholders involved in restoring and operating the Pathfinder 500, commending them for successfully returning the rig to productive service.
