Chevron Nigeria has expressed its intention to participate in the 2025 petroleum licensing round, hailing the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) for its activities aimed at boosting the oil and gas business in the country.
The Chairman and Managing Director of Chevron Nigeria/Mid-Africa Business Unit, Jim Swartz, gave the commendation when he visited the NUPRC’s corporate headquarters in Abuja on December 4, 2025.
“We will participate in the next licensing round. Our intention is to continue to grow in Nigeria,” he stated.
Mr Swartz said NUPRC is a transparent regulator that supports business and commended the Commission’s Chief Executive, Engr. Gbenga Komolafe, for what he described as his “visionary leadership.”
He said Komolafe strives to ensure proper enforcement of the Petroleum Industry Act.
“My assessment is that you have continued to support us. You have shown that Nigeria is a leader in this sector. Chevron specifically appreciates the enforcement of the willing buyer, willing seller provision, Mr. Swartz added.
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According to him, Chevron has not recorded any incident of oil theft or attacks on its pipelines this year. “This is the longest we’ve gone without oil theft,” Mr. Swartz noted.
He revealed that TotalEnergies Nigeria had signed a farm-out agreement with Chevron for a 40 per cent stake in the PPL 2000 and PPL 2001 offshore exploration licences in Nigeria. He said Chevron was looking to the NUPRC for a swift approval as it sought to develop the assets quickly.
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Responding, Komolafe commended Chevron for its decision to take part in the 2025 licensing round, adding that it demonstrates that Nigeria remains a key investment destination.
He reassured NUPRC’s commitment to ensuring that the licensing round is transparent, fair competitive and will be better than the 2024 exercise, adding that everything will be done digitally through the Commission’s portal, which has gone live.
“We are committed to delivering a transparent licensing round which will even be better than that of 2024. It will be transparent and digital. Our portal has gone live and we have 50 fields on offer,” Komolafe stated.
Commenting on Chevron’s testimony that it had recorded zero incidents of pipeline sabotage in the last one year, the NUPRC boss said it was due to initiatives by the President Bola Tinubu administration and security agencies.
Victor Ezeja is a passionate journalist, scholar and analyst of socioeconomic issues in Nigeria and Africa. He is skilled in energy reporting, business and economy, and holds a master's degree in mass communication.
