Why We Declared Force Majeure On 200,000 bopd Nigeria’s Erha Oil Field – ExxonMobil

Esso Exploration and Production Nigeria Limited (EEPNL), an affiliate of ExxonMobil, has declared a Force majeure on crude exports from its 200,000 barrels of oil per day Erha deepwater field.

A force majuere is a legal and business declaration indicating that the company may not be able to fulfil certain contractual obligations due to factors that led to disruption in its production.

An EEPNL spokesperson confirmed to NOP NIGERIA that the company declared force majeure following unexpected damage to the floating buoy supporting crude export operations at the Erha Floating Production, Storage and Offloading (FPSO) facility.

“The Force Majeure was declared due to unexpected equipment damage at the floating buoy supporting export operations at the Erha FPSO on July 8, 2026,’ he said.

EEPNL, the spokesman added, “is actively working to restore export operations. Relevant stakeholders have been notified, and regular updates are being provided.

“EEPNL does not wish to speculate on the recovery timeline.”

The Erha field, located on Oil Mining Lease (OML) 133, about 100 kilometres offshore in the western Niger Delta, is one of Nigeria’s largest and most strategic deepwater assets.

With a production capacity of about 200,000 barrels per day, the field is a major contributor to the country’s daily crude oil output and export earnings.

Any prolonged disruption to operations at the field is expected to further reduce Nigeria’s overall crude oil production, potentially widening the gap between actual output and the government’s production target.

Lower production would also translate into reduced crude exports, weaker foreign exchange inflows, lower government revenue and increased pressure on the implementation of the 2026 budget.

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The declaration comes as Nigeria has been making steady progress in raising crude oil production after years of losses caused by oil theft, pipeline vandalism, and underinvestment.

Analysts who spoke to Daily Sun warned that any extended outage at Erha could erode those gains, weaken investor confidence in the upstream sector, and further constrain government finances at a time when public spending is heavily dependent on oil receipts.

NOP NIGERIA