TotalEnergies Deploys Drillship to Akpo Field for New Offshore Drilling Campaign
TotalEnergies has positioned the ultra-deepwater drillship Noble Black Rhino at Nigeria's Akpo field, 150 kilometres offshore in PML 2 (formerly OML 130), with drilling of well AFE-1X scheduled to begin November 13. The vessel completed a 738-nautical-mile journey from Côte d'Ivoire, arriving November 3. Noble Corporation disclosed a four-well contract worth approximately 150 days with six priced option wells, though contract value and specific fields for all wells remain undisclosed. Akpo, operated by TotalEnergies (24% interest) with partners CNOOC (45%), South Atlantic Petroleum (15%), and Prime 130 (16%), produced 124,000 barrels of oil equivalent daily in 2023 and supplies gas to Nigeria LNG. The Akpo West development, online since February 2024, adds 14,000 bpd condensate with gas production projected at four million cubic metres daily by 2028.
This campaign signals continued deepwater investment that could strengthen Nigeria's offshore production and government revenue. However, TotalEnergies has not disclosed expected production from AFE-1X, investment size, reserve targets, or local employment numbers. Meanwhile, Premium Times investigation reveals gaps in host community coverage: the company's five established Host Communities Development Trusts (Obagi, Olo, BOPANE, NOPL, Port Harcourt) do not clearly include littoral communities in Rivers and Bayelsa states allocated to Akpo/Egina operations by NUPRC in 2022. The Petroleum Industry Act requires three percent of annual operating expenditure to fund these trusts, but contributions for deepwater communities remain unverified.
Environmental accountability also persists. NOSDRA Gas Flare Tracker data shows flare volumes around OML 130 rose to 7.9 million standard cubic feet in 2025 from below 6.2 million in 2022-23, despite TotalEnergies' claim of eliminating routine flaring. Satellite observations and community accounts document continuing flare activity. NUPRC and NOSDRA oversee regulation, but deepwater monitoring remains challenging.
Will this drilling deliver the promised production boost and local benefits, or will host communities and environmental concerns remain sidelined as they have in previous offshore cycles?