Nigeria expands oil export capacity with 365,000 BPD Otakikpo terminal

By Obas Esiedesa, Abuja

The Federal Government has announced that the commissioning of the $400 million Otakikpo Oil Export Terminal will ease crude evacuation challenges and boost Nigeria’s capacity to deliver crude oil to the international market.

Located in Ikuru Town, Andoni Local Government Area of Rivers State, the terminal has an export capacity of 365,000 barrels per day and is the first onshore oil terminal built in Nigeria in the last 50 years.

President Bola Tinubu, who inaugurated the facility, described the project as a major milestone in Nigeria’s efforts to strengthen crude oil production and export infrastructure.

Represented by the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Oil), Senator Heineken Lokpobiri, the President said the terminal would also serve as an evacuation route for crude oil from fields in Ogoniland and surrounding areas.

He noted that the project aligns with the administration’s priorities of expanding export infrastructure, enhancing local content, and fostering indigenous investment.

“The Otakikpo terminal will not only serve Green Energy International Limited’s production but will also provide an efficient evacuation outlet for marginal and stranded fields across the region, unlocking reserves and creating value for our economy,” he said.

Speaking earlier, the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Green Energy International Limited (GEIL), Professor Anthony Adegbulugbe, said the Otakikpo terminal was conceived, designed, and executed entirely by Nigerians and completed ahead of schedule.

He noted that the facility has a storage capacity of 750,000 barrels, expandable to three million barrels, and a pumping capacity of 360,000 barrels per day. Since its operational debut in June 2025, over one million barrels have already been exported through the terminal.

Adegbulugbe described the project as a catalyst for national growth, opening opportunities for more than 40 stranded fields in the Niger Delta with over three billion barrels of reserves.

Also speaking, the Commission Chief Executive of the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), Engr. Gbenga Komolafe, said the completion of the terminal represents a major leap for indigenous operators in the oil and gas industry.

According to him, “By creating an alternative export hub in Rivers State, the Otakikpo terminal reduces dependence on existing terminals, many of which are near capacity and face security and logistical challenges.

“It also benefits indigenous producers by providing them with direct access to evacuation infrastructure, improving efficiency, and strengthening their competitiveness.”

The post Nigeria expands oil export capacity with 365,000 BPD Otakikpo terminal appeared first on Vanguard News.