AMNI International Petroleum Development Company has moved a drilling rig to the Okoro offshore field in Nigeria, beginning a three-well campaign aimed at raising output to more than 12,000 barrels of oil a day. The company described the rig’s arrival as a major step in its wider plan to boost production from existing assets and strengthen its position among leading indigenous operators.

AMNI has mobilised a drilling rig to the Okoro offshore field in Nigeria for a three-well campaign.The company aims to lift peak production above 12,000 barrels a day as part of its five-year development plan.Chairman and energy tycoon Tunde Afolabi says the programme reflects long-term investment and growing local capability.The move highlights the rising role of indigenous operators in Nigeria’s push to increase national oil output.

The operation forms part of AMNI’s five-year Strategic Development Plan, which focuses on improving performance at established fields, speeding up oil development and expanding gas commercialisation. Executives say the programme reflects steady, long-term execution rather than short-term expansion.

“This mobilisation reflects the growing technical capability and financial strength of Nigeria’s indigenous operators,” said Dr Tunde Afolabi, AMNI’s chairman and chief executive. He noted that the Okoro programme aims to optimise production, improve reservoir management and support stable output from the offshore site.

Tunde Afolabi AMNI Petroleum

Afolabi, a well-known energy tycoon, said the company and its partners also hold a forward investment pipeline of more than $2.5 billion across oil and gas projects, with expected peak output of over 150,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day.

“That forward portfolio represents a significant long-term investment in Nigeria’s upstream sector,” he added. “This is not symbolic growth. It is tangible execution of a clearly defined long-term strategy.”

The Okoro field lies within OML 112 in shallow waters off Akwa Ibom State. AMNI originally secured the licence in 1993 under the government’s indigenous licensing scheme.

First oil arrived in 2008 through a development partnership with British independent Afren, which later collapsed in 2015. AMNI has since operated the field on its own and continued to expand its offshore capabilities.

Pre-spud work was largely complete when the rig arrived on location, according to company officials.

The campaign comes at a time when Nigeria is still trying to lift national crude production toward its long-stated target of three million barrels per day. Progress has been slowed by pipeline damage, ageing facilities, under-investment and years of output disruption.

With many international majors selling down onshore and shallow-water assets, indigenous operators have become increasingly central to sustaining national supply.

Industry observers say companies like AMNI shows how far domestic operators have progressed, from small roles in marginal field ventures to running full offshore drilling programmes and deploying large amounts of long-term capital.

“Operational excellence, prudent capital allocation and long-term value creation remain the pillars of our growth model,” Afolabi said, pushing back against any suggestion that the company’s ambitions exceed its capabilities.

Beyond Okoro, AMNI plans to advance the Tubu oil field and expand its gas commercialisation projects to build a more integrated upstream portfolio. Company leaders argue that long-term commitment to assets, rather than chasing quick production gains, is key to strengthening Nigeria’s upstream sector.

Whether the Okoro campaign meets its production goals will depend on subsurface performance, rig efficiency and wider operating conditions.

Nigeria has seen many ambitious drilling plans face delays or fall short of targets, and AMNI knows that projected numbers are only a starting point. Still, the arrival of the rig shows clear financial commitment to an asset the company has developed for more than twenty years, an approach that remains significant in Nigeria’s upstream industry.