Friday, January 22, 2021
We review what happened in Nigeria’s upstream petroleum sector during the previous year – a year that saw a new marginal field bid round, an oil price crash and the onset of a terrible global pandemic. We also consider what we can expect in 2021 and if this will be the year the Petroleum Industry Bill finally overhauls the sector.
What happened in legal matters?
Upon his re-election in 2019, President Buhari set out an ambitious plan to pass the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) by the end of 2020. He did not achieve that. However, progress was made: the PIB
passed its second reading in both the Senate and the House of Representatives in Nigeria in Q4 2020 and is now under committee review.
In a speech on 24 November 1992, marking her
Ruby Jubilee on the throne, Queen Elizabeth II said, “1992 is not a year on which I shall look back with undiluted pleasure. In the words of one of my more sympathetic correspondents, it has turned out to be an
annus horribilis.”
Annus horribilis. This is a moniker that oil and gas insiders might well apply to 2020 given the disastrous effects on the industry from Covid-19 pandemic (“Pandemic”) and its accompanying recession which brought a precipitous fall in demand and price. Indeed, in May the price of crude oil briefly went negative for the first time in history. This was followed by massive layoffs across the board and sharply curbed investments in planned and ongoing projects. Several major oil companies announced profound changes in their long-range focus from hydrocarbons to greener energy.
Nana Madwe December 28, 2020
In the past twelve months, the global oil and gas industry has faced significant disruption from COVID-19 and resultant dual supply and demand shocks. In its annual review, Africa Oil & Power (AOP) highlights the key developments that have not only shaped 2020, but also influenced energy investment and policy on the continent in 2021 and beyond.
January
Africa Oil acquired 50% ownership interest in Petrobras Oil and Gas BV for $519.5 million. The remaining 50% will be retained by BTG Pactual E&P. With a view to extensive deep offshore exploration potential in the country, join AOP at the first-ever Nigeria Oil, Gas & Power 2021 Conference & Exhibition for two days of discussions and deal-making surrounding Nigeria’s upcoming gas monetization initiatives, downstream diversification and marginal fields licensing round.