Nigeria’s crude oil production is expected to receive a significant boost in the coming weeks following the completion of the EMEM Floating Production Storage and Offloading (FPSO) vessel, the Chief Executive of the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), Gbenga Komolafe, has said.
Komolafe gave the assurance after leading a delegation to Dubai Drydocks World in the United Arab Emirates, where the EMEM FPSO is undergoing final conversion works before being deployed to Nigeria’s offshore Okwok Field.
In a statement issued on Thursday by the Commission’s Head of Media and Strategic Communications, Eniola Akinkuotu, Komolafe described the development as a major step toward achieving the federal government’s goal of ramping up oil production under the Project One Million Barrels Initiative.
“This FPSO is coming to Nigeria at a time we are seeking to increase production. It will help us achieve our Project One Million Barrels target. From what I have seen, I am very impressed, and as the regulator, we will continue to give support to Oriental Energy,” Komolafe said.
The FPSO, being converted for Oriental Energy Resources Limited, will soon sail to Nigerian waters for deployment at the Okwok Field, operated by Oriental Okwok Limited. Once operational, it will handle crude production, processing, storage, and offloading — key functions that will contribute to Nigeria’s production recovery efforts.
During his four-hour inspection tour, the NUPRC boss reviewed critical facilities aboard the vessel, including the Oil and Produced Water Treatment Unit, Gas Injection Modules, Seawater Treatment Facilities, Gas Turbine Generators, Electrical House, Laboratory, Control Room, and Accommodation Quarters.
The visit, according to the NUPRC, was part of its regulatory oversight responsibility to ensure the vessel’s compliance, quality, and readiness before sail-away.
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