ExxonMobil Launches $1 Billion Usan Infill Project in Nigeria
ExxonMobil approved a $1 billion drilling project at the Usan Field to increase Nigeria's oil production by 40,000 barrels per day.
During the 2026 Nigeria Oil & Gas Energy Week in Abuja, ExxonMobil, acting through its affiliate Esso Exploration and Production Nigeria, announced the commencement of the $1 billion Usan Infill Project. Located in Oil Mining Lease (OML) 138 offshore Nigeria, the project marks the company's return to drilling in the country for the first time since 2016.
The investment aims to unlock approximately 40,000 barrels of oil per day using extended-reach drilling and intelligent completion technologies to maximize recovery from untapped reservoirs. The project is structured as a short-cycle investment, with first oil expected within six months of on-block execution and peak output targeted within 18 months. This initiative is projected to generate $1.2 billion in additional revenue for Nigeria over the next four years.
Esso credited the project's progress to collaboration with partners Chevron, TotalEnergies, and Nexen, as well as regulatory support from the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), NNPC Ltd, and the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board. Oritsemeyiwa Eyesan, Chief Executive of the NUPRC, stated the project signals renewed potential in Nigeria's deep-water acreage.
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