The Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC), and Chevron have confirmed a hydrocarbon discovery at the Awodi-07 appraisal and exploration well in the shallow offshore western Niger Delta, reinforcing the area’s prospectivity and the strength of the partners’ offshore portfolio.
In a statement, NNPC said the well was drilled by Chevron Nigeria Limited under the NNPC–Chevron joint venture as part of an ongoing exploration and appraisal programme aimed at delineating additional hydrocarbon reserves.
Drilling operations commenced in late November 2025 and were completed in mid-December 2025. NNPC noted that the well was drilled safely and in full compliance with regulatory and operational standards, before being secured following testing, logging, and data acquisition activities.
Preliminary results confirmed the presence of hydrocarbons across multiple reservoir intervals, bolstering confidence in the asset’s potential and supporting further technical and commercial evaluation of development options.
According to NNPC, the Awodi-07 discovery underscores the importance of sustained offshore exploration in strengthening Nigeria’s production outlook and enhancing long-term energy security. The company added that the outcome reflects strong technical collaboration between the joint-venture partners, as well as progress under ongoing upstream reforms introduced by Nigeria’s Petroleum Industry Act.
Chevron Nigeria and NNPC jointly operate several oil and gas assets in the Niger Delta, with Chevron holding a 40% participating interest and NNPC the remaining stake.
