Home » Nigerian president approves acquisition of ExxonMobil assets by oil tycoon Bryant Orjiako’s Seplat Energy

Nigerian president approves acquisition of ExxonMobil assets by oil tycoon Bryant Orjiako’s Seplat Energy

by Eduardo C. Serrano
Ambrosie Bryant Orjiako

After several weeks of deliberation, Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari has finally approved the proposed acquisition of ExxonMobil’s oil and gas assets in Nigeria by Seplat Energy, a leading energy group founded by Nigerian magnate Ambrosie Bryant Orjiako.

“In his capacity as Minister of Petroleum Resources, and in consonance with the country’s drive for foreign direct investment in the energy sector, Muhammadu Buhari has consented to the acquisition of the entire share capital of Mobil Producing Nigeria Unlimited by Seplat Energy Offshore Limited,” the government said in a press statement seen by Billionaires.Africa.

The approval is consistent with the government’s plans to strengthen foreign direct investment in the energy sector. It comes not long after the government rejected the $1.58-billion deal on May 19, citing overriding national interests as one reason for the decision.

Exxon Mobil and Seplat are expected to carry out the operations of the unit’s oil-mining licenses to support Nigeria’s OPEC quota in the short term and to accelerate gas resource development and monetization to help bolster the Nigerian economy, according to the share sales agreement.

Seplat Energy is an independent oil and gas company with a strategic focus on Nigeria’s Niger Delta region. Orjiako and Austin Avuru, who founded the company in 2009, are credited with turning it into the largest listed energy group on the Nigerian Exchange.

ExxonMobil’s offshore shallow water business in Nigeria includes a well-established, high-quality operation able to produce 95,000 barrels of oil per day. Its acquisition by Seplat Energy will enhance the group’s ability to drive growth, profitability, and overall shareholder prosperity.

Seplat’s profit increased by 41 percent in the first half of 2022, from $56.57 million in the first half of 2021 to $79.8 million, as the company continues to leverage rising energy prices to build wealth for shareholders, following an $85.3-million loss in 2020.

Following the deal, Seplat’s oil output will increase by 186 percent, from 51,000 barrels per day to 146,000 barrels per day, while liquid and gas reserves will increase by 170 percent and 14 percent, respectively, to 650 million barrels and 1,712 billion standard cubic feet of gas.

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