By Obas Esiedesa, Abuja
The Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) has announced 31 companies as winners of 37 oil and gas blocks in the 2025 Licensing Round, following a competitive bidding process that attracted 200 bids from 143 companies.
The winners emerged at the commercial bid conference held on Tuesday at the Transcorp Event Centre, Abuja, marking the conclusion of the competitive phase of the licensing exercise.
According to the commission, the 37 awarded blocks were selected from the 50 oil and gas blocks offered across the Niger Delta onshore, shallow water and deep offshore areas, as well as the frontier basins of the Benue Trough, Chad Basin, Anambra Basin and Benin Basin.
NUPRC said while 37 blocks attracted bids, 13 received no offers. It described the outcome as a milestone, noting that it was the first time Nigeria’s frontier basins had attracted such a high level of investor interest.
The successful companies include SSonic Petroleum Limited, CFP Pipeline and Flowlines, Dutchford E&P Limited, Attabanson Global Company Limited, Rosem Energy Limited, Pivot-GIS Limited, Network E&P, Asharami, LexOil, BVOF, Gupsco Energy Limited, Saratoga, Volante, Concept-Reel Petroleum Services Limited, Clinton Oil Field and Nuway Oaklane Limited.
Others are Ramec, Italia, Blueridge E&P, Up Energies Limited, AYM Shafa, Blackrock Holdings Limited, Funtay Integrated Business Limited, Riparian Development and Production Limited, Nikstallis, Stardeep Petroleum, Dakoda & U Limited, Southborne Oil and Gas Limited, Lanaka Petroleum, Highban Resources Limited and Eyre Energy Limited.
Some companies secured more than one block. Attabanson Global Company Limited won PPL 2A33 and PPL 901, Gupsco Energy Limited secured PPL 2A44 and 2A51, Concept-Reel Petroleum Services Limited won PPL 2A47 and 2A55, Clinton Oil Field secured PPL 2A48 and 2A62, while Nikstallis emerged successful for PPL 2A61 and PPL 900.
The commission, however, clarified that the companies would only receive their final awards after paying the required signature bonuses and obtaining the approval of the Minister of Petroleum Resources, in accordance with the Petroleum Industry Act, 2021.
Speaking at the event, the Commission Chief Executive, Mrs. Oritsemeyiwa Eyesan, congratulated the successful bidders and urged them to promptly pay their signature bonuses and commence development of their assets.
She warned that the commission would strictly enforce the “drill or drop” provisions of the Petroleum Industry Act, under which licence holders that fail to develop their assets within the stipulated timeframe risk losing them.
Eyesan also expressed appreciation to President Bola Tinubu for supporting the commission in delivering what she described as a seamless licensing round.
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