Oloibiri Oilfield

Oloibiri Oilfield
Country	Nigeria
Region	Niger Delta
Location	Bayelsa State
Block(s)	OML 29
Offshore/onshore	Onshore
Coordinates	04°41′30.120″N 006°21′33.30″E / 4.6917°N 6.35925°E / 4.6917; 6.35925Coordinates: 04°41′30.120″N 006°21′33.30″E / 4.6917°N 6.35925°E / 4.6917; 6.35925
Operator(s)	SPDC
Partners	BP (till 1979)
Field history
Discovery	15 January 1956
Start of development	1956
Start of production	1958
Peak year	1964
Abandonment	1978
Production
Current production of oil	5,100 barrels per day (~2.5×10^5 t/a)
Year of current production of oil	1958
Estimated oil in place	20.06 million barrels (~2.737×10^6 t)
Producing formations	Agbada Formation

Oloibiri Oilfield is an onshore oilfield located in Oloibiri in Ogbia LGA of Bayelsa State, Nigeria, about 45 miles (72 km) east of Port Harcourt in the Niger Delta. Oloibiri field is about 13.75 square kilometres (5.31 sq mi) and lies in a swamp within OML 29. Oloibiri Oilfield is named after Oloibiri, a small, remote creek community, where it is located. In Nigeria, Oilfield is usually named after the host community where it is located or local landmark. Oilfield is also given names taken from indigenous language.

The field is currently operated by Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria Limited (SPDC).The field was originally operated by Shell Darcy. On 30th April 1956, Shell Darcy changed its name to Shell-BP Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria Limited to reflect BP interest. In 1979, it changed its name gain to Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria Limited (SPDC) following the nationalisation of BP interest by the Government.

Exploration history

Oloibiri Oilfield was discovered on Sunday 15th January 1956 by Shell Darcy. It is Nigeria first commercial oil discovery. The discovery ended 50 years of unsuccessful oil exploration in the country by various companies and launched Nigeria into the limelight of Petro-State.

Following the discovery of oil in commercial quantity in Oloibiri, Shell up stepped up exploration in the Niger Delta and By 1958 Shell/D'Arcy has discovered oil in twelve areas in the Niger Delta of which Oloibiri, Afam and Bomu were the most promising.

The discovery well Oloibiri −1 was spudded on 03 August 1955 and drilled vertical to a total depth of 12008 feet (3660m). The well was tested and it flowed at the rate of about 5,000 barrels (790 m³) of oil per day and it was deemed to be a commercial discovery. Some gas was also discovered with the oil. The oil discovery was made in the Tertiary Agbada formation.

Fifteen wells were drilled around this discovery well within the next two years so making Oloibiri, Nigeria's first commercial oil field.

Appraisal

Between 26 June 1956 and 28 October 1958, 11 appraisal wells were drilled vertical to appraisal the extension of the reservoir to different sections of the field. The first appraisal well was Oloibiri-2, it was spudded on 26 June 1956 and drilled vertically to a total depth of 2932m and it encountered oil in the Agbada Formation. Six of these appraisal wells were a success and encountered oil pay.

An appraisal well Oloibiri-17 was spudded on 09 June 1967 after 9 years of production and drilled deviated to a measured depth of 12520 feet (3816 mD) but the result was not encouraging. Oloibiri-17 was plugged and abandoned. The field production was on depletion from its peak production and the well was drilled to appraisal another section of the field so as to increase production.

Another appraisal well Oloibiri-18 was spudded on 21 April 1979 and drilled to a vertical depth of 9616 feet (2931 m) but the result was also discouraging. The field was almost depleted at that time. The main objective of the Oloibiri-18 was to appraise a new section and improve the drainage of the reservoir but the well was dry with shows and so it was plugged and abandoned.

Development

Following the successful completion of the appraisal of the field, four development wells were drilled in 1958 (between 17 June 1958 and 27 November 1958) for the development of the field. The four development wells and the six successful appraisal wells were completed as oil production wells.

The discovery well, Oloibiri-1 was completed on 5 June 1956 as a commercial oil production well. Thus, Oloibiri-1 made history as the first truly commercial oil well in Nigeria. This brings the number of completed production wells on field to eleven.

Production

The field started oil production between late 1957 and early 1958 and the first oil production from the field came at the rate of 4,928 barrels per day (783.5 m³/d). The field produced at an average rate of 5,100 barrels (810 m³) of oil per day for the first year. The production increased thereafter as more wells were completed and put onto production and reached its peak in 1964. The field was drained from eleven production wells. The oil produced from the field is sour and heavy and has an API of 20.6. The gas produced with the oil was flared off as a result of lack of gas processing and utilisation facility in the country then, so the gas was not considered necessary.

Royal Dutch Shell laid the first crude oil pipeline in the country from the Oloibiri field to Port Harcourt on Bonny River to access export facilities. Nigeria exported its first crude oil in February 1958 from the Oloibiri oil field, initially at the rate of 5,100 barrels per day (810 m³/d). The oil was being pumped from the field via the country's first pipeline, laid by Shell.

The Oloibiri oilfield produced over 20 million barrels (3,200,000 m³) of oil during its 20 years life cycle. Oil production finally stopped in 1978 and the field was abandoned the same year. The Oloibiri oilfield was abandoned without any improved recovery to drain some of the 21.26 million barrels (3,380,000 m³) of hydrocarbon still left on the field.

Reference

• Chuks Onyems, Nigeria Oilfields Encyclopedia.

• HISTORY OF THE NIGERIAN PETROLEUM INDUSTRY [1]

• The History of Shell in Nigeria [2]

• Nigeria – History of Oil Exploration[3]