Green Energy International Limited (GEIL) has marked a historic milestone in Nigeria’s petroleum sector with the successful inauguration of crude exports from its newly built Otakikpo onshore terminal.
At approximately 2 PM on Sunday, June 8, a Shell-chartered off-taker vessel completed the first crude lifting from the facility, located in the Otakikpo marginal field, Rivers State.
This terminal is the first privately developed and managed onshore crude export site in Nigeria in over 50 years. GEIL Chairman, Prof. Anthony Adegbulugbe, hailed the achievement as a groundbreaking moment, attributing its success to divine favor, the dedication of the company’s workforce, and strong regulatory support. He expressed gratitude to all collaborators and commended the local technical team’s commitment to delivering the project, emphasizing its significance for Nigeria and African-owned energy enterprises.
According to The PUNCH, the facility has an initial storage capacity of 750,000 barrels, with plans to expand to three million barrels. It is also equipped with a 360,000 barrels-per-day pumping system for efficient tanker loading.
Adegbulugbe noted that GEIL completed the terminal in under two years, making it the first of its kind developed by a private African energy firm. The company invested over $400 million in the terminal’s first phase, with total funding expected to exceed $1.3 billion upon full completion.
The terminal infrastructure is designed to receive up to 250,000 barrels of crude daily, despite current output from the Otakikpo field standing at approximately 10,000 barrels per day. GEIL emphasized that the facility provides crucial evacuation access for over 40 nearby oil fields, collectively holding an estimated three billion barrels of oil equivalent.
Industry experts anticipate that this development will enhance Nigeria’s production capacity, reduce reliance on offshore terminals, and attract new investment into the country’s oil sector.
With growing global demand for African crude, the Otakikpo terminal is expected to become a vital asset in strengthening Nigeria’s international energy presence.
GEIL asserts that the Otakikpo terminal will play a pivotal role in optimizing crude evacuation and accelerating production, aligning with Nigeria’s long-term energy strategy.
