Energy Transition: Expert advocates boost in oil production ahead 2060 zero emission target

Mr Victor Ekpenyong, an Oil Services Expert, has advocated a boost in oil production ahead of the 2060 energy transition date set by the federal government for net zero emission.

Ekpenyong, the Chief Executive Officer of Kenyon International West Africa, spoke at the just concluded Oloibiri Lecture Series and Energy Forum held in Abuja.

It would be recalled that Nigeria, at the 2021 COP 26 Climate Forum in Glasgow, pledged to achieve a net zero carbon emission by 2060.

The nation also plans to use gas as its transition energy source due to its low emission of greenhouse gases.

According to a statement issued on Monday by Mr Ifechukwu Muonyili, Public Affairs Manager at Kenyon, Nigeria should leverage the current upsurge in oil prices to earn more revenue.

Ekpenyong proposed deployment of idle well management strategy and remote well control as key solutions to combating oil theft which can equally maximise oil production to increase revenue and facilitate Nigeria’s energy transition.

The statement noted that the lecture which took place at PTDF Towers, in Abuja, has the theme ‘Global Energy Transition: Implications on Future Investments in the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry’ and attended by industry dignitaries.

In Ekpenyong’s opening remark, he stated that oil theft has been the bane of Nigeria’s economy as it had led to loss of revenue and environmental pollution.

He noted that since oil accounts for the major source of revenue in Nigeria, it behoves the federal government to maximise its oil production through putting measures that deter oil theft and vandalism.

Ekpenyong explained that an idle well management strategy will enable a well to be decommissioned safely to protect it from being vandalized and restore an abandoned well to full potential when necessary.

On remote well control, he said it was a technology that can be deployed to protect oilfields facilities and environment from hazards such as blowouts.

Ekpenyong appealed to the federal government to integrate the idle well management strategy and remote well control to help reduce the number of emerging idle wells.

He said the approach will boost oil production which can in turn help fund and facilitate a smooth transition into clean energy.