Nigeria’s domestic gas supply has received a significant boost after the NNPC and Heirs Energies joint venture on OML 17 added 135 million standard cubic feet of gas per day to the national network, a development officials say marks a fresh step towards strengthening the country’s fragile energy security.
The increase follows a rigless recompletion on a long-shut non-associated gas well in the field, an unconventional approach that avoided drilling a new well.
The operation, which relied on through-tubing access into a previously untapped interval, was completed safely, ahead of schedule, and at a fraction of the cost typically required for a new well. Engineers involved in the work described it as a first-of-its-kind intervention in the country and one that has effectively doubled the joint venture’s gas output almost overnight.
The well in question had been sidelined for years after excessive water made production uneconomic. Heirs Energies’ technical team opted instead for an innovative and low-impact solution, which the company says now sets a new benchmark for rigless gas delivery methods across Nigeria’s upstream industry.
Power plants across the eastern corridor ramp up output as new gas volumes stabilise supply
The added supply has already rippled through the power sector, particularly in the eastern network where shortages have long hindered output. Transcorp’s Afam plant, one of the main beneficiaries of the new gas flow, has seen its generation climb from roughly 50 megawatts to above 180 megawatts, with occasional peaks touching 200 megawatts.
Other plants on the same network, including First Independent Power Limited and Geometric Power, have also reported steadier operations and improved capacity.
Combined, plants drawing from the OML 17 network are now generating more than 350 megawatts, up from around 100 megawatts prior to the intervention.
According to Heirs Energies, the uplift is sufficient to power hundreds of thousands of homes and businesses, easing blackouts, supporting health centres and schools, and keeping factories and critical infrastructure functioning more reliably.
The achievement has drawn praise from policymakers. The President’s Special Adviser on Energy, Olu Verheijen, said the work reflects the technical depth and persistence of Nigerian engineers, adding that innovation of this kind is what Nigeria needs to unlock more energy resources. In a message to the Chief Executive of Heirs Energies, Osa Igiehon, she pledged continued support as the company expands its footprint across the sector.
Igiehon, for his part, described the milestone as proof of the ability of Nigerian professionals to manage mature assets effectively. He said the company remains committed to the country’s gas-to-power ambitions through responsible and performance-driven operations.
NNPC’s Executive Vice President for Upstream, Udy Ntia, said the effort shows what disciplined collaboration between partners can achieve, adding that the JV’s performance is helping the national oil company push forward with its wider plan to unlock Nigeria’s vast but underdeveloped gas reserves.
NUIMS’ Chief Upstream Investment Officer, Seyi Omotowa, echoed that view, calling the intervention a model for the type of engineering ingenuity needed to maximise the country’s hydrocarbon portfolio.
The NNPC–Heirs Energies partnership says it will continue to pursue gas-centred developments that expand domestic supply, strengthen electricity output, build local capacity, and support wider industrial activity.
For Heirs Energies, which positions itself as an indigenous integrated energy company focused on innovation and sustainable growth, the success at OML 17 is another step in its push to contribute meaningfully to Africa’s evolving energy landscape and economic development.
