KEY POINTS
- Petralon reached first oil at Dawes Island and earned public backing from Shell’s trading arm.
- The company moved from licence award to production in under three years, exporting about 158,000 barrels so far.
- Its progress underscores the growing importance of indigenous operators in sustaining Nigeria’s oil output.
Petralon Energy has received strong endorsement from Shell Western Supply and Trading after successfully achieving first oil production at the Dawes Island Field.
At a London event marking the achievement, Shell CEO Rodrigo Teixeira de Abreu praised the firm’s leadership and execution in delivering the project from concept to production.
The recognition ceremony was attended by Petralon’s founder and CEO Ahonsi Unuigbe, board chairman Mutiu Sunmonu, and chief commercial officer Uduak Equere.
Their presence highlighted industry confidence in the company’s ability to develop and operate oil and gas assets independently.
Rapid Development From Licence to Production
Since receiving its licence in June 2022, Petralon has advanced the field swiftly drilling multiple wells, bringing the DI-2 well online, and exporting about 158,000 barrels of crude through the Bonny Oil and Gas Terminal.
The firm has already drilled the DI-3 well to total depth and plans to bring it into production before the end of the current quarter, while a fourth well (DI-4) is scheduled for later this year.
Petralon’s achievement highlights the growing role of local companies as Nigeria increasingly depends on indigenous operators to maintain production levels amid divestments by international oil majors.
Energy analyst Quazim Adeniran described Shell Trading’s support as both a vote of confidence in Petralon and a broader endorsement of Nigeria’s oil sector potential.
