By Firdaus Jibril
Esso Exploration and Production Nigeria Limited (EEPNL), an affiliate of ExxonMobil, has declared force majeure on crude exports from its Erha deepwater oil field following unexpected equipment damage supporting export operations.
The company said the declaration became necessary after damage occurred to the floating buoy supporting crude export operations at the Erha Floating Production, Storage and Offloading (FPSO) facility on July 8, 2026.
An EEPNL spokesperson said the company is working to restore export operations and has notified relevant stakeholders.
According to the spokesperson, the company is providing regular updates but remains unable to give a timeline for when export operations will resume.
Force majeure is a legal declaration made when unforeseen circumstances prevent a company from fulfilling its contractual obligations, including the delivery of crude oil to customers.
The Erha field, located on Oil Mining Lease (OML) 133 about 100 kilometers offshore in the western Niger Delta, is one of Nigeria’s largest deepwater oil assets, with a production capacity of about 200,000 barrels of crude oil per day.
Industry observers say any prolonged disruption to exports from the field could affect Nigeria’s crude oil production, reduce export earnings, and put additional pressure on government revenue.
This development comes as the Federal Government continues efforts to increase crude oil production, improve foreign exchange earnings, and meet production targets through increased investment in the upstream sector.