Module 3•55 min•5 units
Upstream Operations
Upstream operations encompass everything from finding oil beneath the earth's surface to bringing it to the wellhead. In Nigeria, upstream activities span diverse terrains - from the creeks and swamps of the Niger Delta to ultra-deepwater fields over 1,000 metres below sea level. This module covers the full upstream lifecycle: exploration, drilling, production, and the distinct challenges of operating across Nigeria's onshore and offshore environments.
6+
Sedimentary Basins
~15
Active Rigs
~1.2M
Daily Production (bpd)
10+
Deepwater Fields
Learning objectives
After completing this module, you'll be able to:
- Describe the exploration and appraisal process used to discover hydrocarbon reserves in Nigeria
- Explain key drilling and well completion techniques used in Nigerian operations
- Understand surface production facilities, flow stations, and crude processing workflows
- Compare onshore, swamp, shallow-water, and deepwater production environments in Nigeria
- Identify major Nigerian fields and the challenges unique to each operational terrain
In this module
Sources & Further Reading
- •NNPC, "Upstream Operations Overview". nnpcgroup.com
- •Tuttle, M.L.W. et al., "Petroleum Systems of the Niger Delta Province", USGS Open-File Report 99-50-H, 1999.
- •DPR, "2020 Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Annual Report" (basin and production data).
- •Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE) Nigeria Council, "Technical Papers on Nigerian Operations".