KEY POINTS
- Sahara Group aims to hit 350,000 barrels per day by 2030.
- The Sahara Group oil production plan centers on Nigeria.
- Nigeria’s renewed drilling drive is attracting global investors.
Sahara Group, the energy and infrastructure conglomerate, is ramping up exploration and drilling investments to drive production growth across Africa.
Nigeria remains central to the company’s expansion strategy, anchoring its ambition to strengthen its presence in the continent’s upstream oil market. The company targets increasing crude oil output across Africa to 350,000 barrels per day by 2030, a senior executive confirmed.
This step highlights Sahara Group’s determination to consolidate its position as both national and global producers seek to expand supply. At an energy conference in Cape Town, Asharami Energy Chief Technical Officer Leste Aihevba outlined the company’s production growth plan.
He said Sahara Group’s growth will depend on upgrading exploration and production operations and boosting overall execution capacity across assets. Aihevba told delegates the plan includes acquiring seven new drilling rigs to accelerate output and improve production efficiency across projects.
Sahara Group expands Africa oil footprint
To reach its target, Sahara Group will acquire seven rigs, with two already operational at Nigerian oil and gas fields. Sahara Group manages its upstream operations through Asharami Energy, its exploration and production subsidiary focused on African hydrocarbon development.
Asharami Energy holds eight assets located in prolific basins across Africa, representing various stages of oil and gas development activities. Aihevba emphasized that the expected production increase will originate entirely from Nigeria, Africa’s leading and most resource-rich oil producer.
According to Sahara Group, the company is one of Africa’s largest independent exploration and production operators and is currently expanding its portfolio in sub-Saharan Africa. Its new investments are expected to strengthen its footprint across the region as global players reassess opportunities amid fluctuating crude prices and shifting energy policies.
Nigeria’s production rebound drives optimism
The Nigerian government has set an ambitious goal to raise its crude output to 2.5 million barrels per day, up from current levels below 2 million barrels per day. Officials are banking on renewed investments to help offset years of underproduction caused by oil theft, pipeline vandalism, and infrastructure decay.
OPEC+ production limits had also capped Nigeria’s output in recent years, but as the alliance gradually relaxes those restrictions, domestic operators like Sahara Group are moving to close the gap. “Two of the seven rigs have already been deployed,” Aihevba confirmed, emphasising that Sahara’s expansion aligns with Nigeria’s national objective to reclaim lost capacity.
Other international oil majors have also renewed interest in Nigeria’s upstream sector. ExxonMobil announced a $1.5 billion commitment to new deepwater projects earlier this year, while TotalEnergies and Shell have rolled out plans to boost output through both offshore and onshore developments.
