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| Shell divests |
Lagos – Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria (SPDC) on
Friday confirmed that it had divested eight Oil Mining Leases (OMLs) in Nigeria
from 2010 to date.
Shell Media Relations Manager Precious Okolobo said in Lagos
that SPDC had sold its interests in OML 4, 38 and 41 which were sold on July
30, 2010.
Others are OML 26 and 42 which sold on Nov. 30, 2011; OML 40 on
Aug. 31, 2012; OML 34 on Sept. 5, 2012 and OML 30 on Nov. 9, 2012,
respectively.
The OMLs divested in the Eastern Niger Delta region are 26,
30, 34, 40, 42, 4, 41and 38, while another four had been penciled for
divestment before 2015.
It would be recalled that the first set of oil fields sold by
Shell were oil mining leases (OMLs) 4, 38 and 41 acquired and operated by
Seplat Petroleum Development Company.
OMLs 26, 30, 34, 40 and 42 were acquired by Nigerian Petroleum
Development Company (NPDC) also the operator.
Okolobo said that in June 2013, SPDC also announced a strategic
review of its operations in the Eastern Niger Delta, which could result in the
divestment of some of its interests there.
“The assets under consideration are OMLs 18, 24, 25, 29 and the
Nembe Creek Trunk Line, but the process has not yet concluded.
“ We have signed Sales and Purchase Agreements for some of the
Oil Mining Leases, but not all that we are seeking to divest.
“In the event of a successful completion of the sales process we
shall make a market announcement,’’ he said.
Okolobo said that Nigeria remained an important part of Shell’s
portfolio, “where we will continue to have a significant onshore presence in
oil and gas, and which has clear growth potential, particularly in deep-water
and onshore gas’’.
He said that Shell had a history of over 50 years in Nigeria and
remained committed to the country and to supporting the government of Nigeria
in its plans for the oil and gas sector.
NAN gathered that Royal Dutch Shell Plc., Nigeria’s biggest
crude oil producer, is advancing plans to complete sale of four oil blocks in
Eastern Niger Delta to meet its target of 15 billion dollars from assets sales
between 2014 and 2015.
The assets under consideration are oil mining leases (OMLs) 18,
24, 25, 29 and the Nembe Creek Trunk Line.
“The battle for acquisition of these four oil blocks has been
raging since the beginning of the year.’’
Some major stakeholders in Nigeria’s oil and gas industry were
opposed to some preferred bidders, which has been one of the major reasons the
deal had not been sealed.
Currently, Midwestern Oil and Gas/Mart Resources/Suntrust Oil,
under the Erotron Consortium, won the bid for OML 18 while Aiteo/Taleveras in
partnership with four other companies made up the consortium that won bid for
OML 29 and the Nembe Creek Trunk line.
OML 29 is considered the juiciest of the blocks.
The preferred bidder for OML 24 is Pan Ocean Oil Corporation
Nigeria Limited, while Lekoil, Crestar, Green Acres/CCC/Signet Petroleum,
NDPR/SAPETRO and Essar, as a consortium, is being considered for OML 25. (NAN)
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