Continuous production has begun from Otakikpo Marginal oil field in a coastal swamp about 60 km southeast of Port Hartcourt, Nigeria, reports Lekoil Ltd.
Intermittent flow into storage tanks began in December. Since then, a 6-km pipeline has been commissioned to link onshore storage with an offshore loading manifold serving shuttle tankers.
Otakikpo field is in the southern part of Oil Mining License 11 about 35 km east of the Bonny export terminal. Green Energy International Nigeria Ltd., Abuja, operates the field under a farmout from the Shell Petroleum Development Co. Nigeria joint venture, which drilled the discovery and appraisal wells in 1980-81.
Initial production from two recompleted wells is 5,000 b/d. Lekoil, technical and financial partner, said it is working to double production by the end of the second quarter.
Green Energy International holds a 60% interest in the project. Lekoil Nigeria, 90% owned by Lekoil Ltd., holds 40%.
A second development phase envisions further drilling in Otakikpo and installation of a central processing facility.
The operator plans to extract liquids from Otakikpo gas and use dry gas for local power generation.