TotalEnergies has launched the sale of its 10 per cent stake in Nigerian joint venture Shell Petroleum Development Company, SPDC, with Canada’s Scotiabank leading the sale as financial adviser, a sale document tendering for interest showed.
Concerns are heightening in the oil sector, particularly in the onshore production as big oil companies have been progressively exiting the country due to alleged unconducive environment.
Though Scotiabank declined to comment on the exercise TotalEnergies earlier announced the sale in late April. TotalEnergies declined to comment on the financial adviser. TotalEnergies confirmed it was selling its interest in 13 onshore fields and three in shallow water, producing over 20,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day.
The sale includes infrastructure such as 3,500 km of pipelines connecting to two key crude export terminals, Bonny and Forcados. READ ALSO:NGX Records 2nd Loss This Week As ASI Drops By 0.35%, Naira Continues Poor Showing At Parallel Market The French company will keep OMLs (oil mining licences) 23 and 28 and its interest in the associated gas pipeline network that feeds Nigeria LNG. Big oil companies have been progressively exiting Nigeria’s onshore production due to years of sabotage and theft that have degraded assets across the oil-rich delta region. SPDC is a joint venture in which Shell holds a 30 per cent working interest, NNPC holds 55 per cent and Eni has 5 per cent. Shell is also selling its stake in SPDC but these efforts have been held up by a court case.