31 companies secure 37 oil, gas blocks in Nigeria’s 2025 licensing round

By Ambrose Nnaji

Thirty-one companies have emerged successful in Nigeria’s 2025 Oil and Gas Licensing Round, securing 37 exploration blocks following a highly competitive commercial bidding process conducted in Abuja.

The Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) said 143 companies submitted a total of 200 bids for 37 of the 50 oil and gas blocks offered during the licensing exercise.

The blocks were spread across several hydrocarbon provinces, including 16 Niger Delta onshore blocks, 18 shallow water blocks, one deep offshore block, three Benin Basin onshore blocks, four Anambra Basin onshore blocks, four Chad Basin onshore blocks and four Benue Trough blocks.

While 37 blocks attracted competitive bids, the remaining 13 received no submissions. Significantly, all the frontier basins—the Benue Trough, Chad Basin, Anambra Basin and Benin Basin—recorded successful bids, marking the first time Nigeria’s frontier acreages have attracted such broad investor participation in a licensing round.

Among the successful bidders are SSonic Petroleum Limited (PPL 2A29), CFP Pipeline and Flowlines (2A30), Dutchford E&P Limited (2A32), Attabanson Global Company Limited (2A33 and PPL 901), Rosem Energy Limited (2A38), Pivot-GIS Limited (2A39), Network E&P (2A40), Asharami (2A41), LexOil (2A42), BVOF (2A43), Gupsco Energy Limited (2A44 and 2A51), Saratoga (2A45), Volante (2A46), Concept-Reel Petroleum Services Limited (2A47 and 2A55), Clinton Oil Field (2A48 and 2A62), and Nuway Oaklane Limited (2A49).

Other successful companies include Ramec (2A50), Italia (2A53), Blueridge E&P (2A54), Up Energies Limited (2A56), AYM Shafa (2A57), Blackrock Holdings Limited (2A58), Funtay Integrated Business Limited (2A59), Riparian Development and Production Limited (2A60), Nikstallis (2A61 and PPL 900), Stardeep Petroleum (PPL 2010), Dakoda & U Limited (PPL 308 and PPL 800), Southborne Oil and Gas Limited (PPL 902), Lanaka Petroleum (PPL 903), Highban Resources Limited (PPL 700), and Eyre Energy Limited (PPL 801).

The Commission said the successful bidders would receive final awards only after paying the prescribed signature bonuses and obtaining approval from the Minister of Petroleum Resources, in accordance with the provisions of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA), 2021.

Speaking at the conclusion of the bid process, the Commission Chief Executive of NUPRC, Oritsemeyiwa Eyesan, expressed appreciation to President Bola Tinubu for supporting the Commission in delivering a transparent and seamless licensing round.

She congratulated the successful companies and urged them to make prompt payment of their signature bonuses and commence development of their assets, warning that undeveloped licences could be revoked under the Commission’s “drill or drop” policy.

The commercial bid conference was observed by representatives of the Federal Ministry of Petroleum Resources, the Federal Ministry of Finance, the Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI), and other stakeholders to ensure transparency and compliance with applicable laws.