Chevron Nigeria finds hydrocarbons in western Niger Delta appraisal

The Awodi-07 well was drilled as part of the Chevron-operated NNPC Ltd./CNL joint venture’s ongoing efforts to further delineate and unlock hydrocarbon potential within the asset portfolio.

Alex Procyk

Jan. 26, 2026

Key Highlights

Chevron Nigeria completed the Awodi-07 appraisal and exploration well offshore western Niger Delta.
Results from the well confirmed a significant presence of hydrocarbons across multiple reservoir zones.

Nigeria flag on blue sky — Chevron Nigeria completed an appraisal and exploration well in shallow waters offshore western Niger Delta, encountering 'significant' hydrocarbons.

Chevron Nigeria Ltd. (CNL) completed the Awodi-07 appraisal and exploration well in shallow waters offshore western Niger Delta, the Nigerian National Petroleum Co. Ltd. (NNPC) said in a Jan. 26 release.

Drilling operations started in late November 2025 and were concluded in mid-December 2025. Following the completion of comprehensive testing, logging, and data acquisition, the well was safely secured.

Results from the well confirmed a significant presence of hydrocarbons across multiple reservoir zones, NNPC said. Additional details were not disclosed.

NNPC and CNL work together under a joint venture agreement to operate several oil and gas fields in Nigeria’s Niger Delta. The partners aim to increase oil production to about 146,000 b/d.

CNL is operator of the joint venture (40%) with NNPC holding the remaining 60%.

About the Author

Alex Procyk

Upstream Editor

Alex Procyk is Upstream Editor at Oil & Gas Journal. He has also served as a principal technical professional at Halliburton and as a completion engineer at ConocoPhillips. He holds a BS in chemistry (1987) from Kent State University and a PhD in chemistry (1992) from Carnegie Mellon University. He is a member of the Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE).