Crude Oil & Natural Gas
Crude Oil
Urhobo territory hosts numerous oil wells in 15 oil fields. Thirteen (13) of the fields are operated by Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC), while Pan Ocean Oil Corporation and Nigerian Petroleum Development Company (NPDC) operate one field each. The fields are: Ughelli North L.G.A. (Afiesere fields, Eriemu, Evwreni, UQCC), Ughelli South L.G.A. (Utorogu Fields, Osioka, Ughelli East and Ughelli West, Urhoka in Oviri-Olomu), Ethiope West L.G.A. (Ovadje in Oghara, Oben in Sapele), Ethiope East L.G.A. (Erhobaro – Orogun, Erhoike-Kokori), Udu L.G.A. (Abura Field 1 and 2) and Okpe L.G.A. (Akpobome Field). The oil produced in the proposed Urhobo state is sulphur-free (sweet crude oil). It is a premium crude oil recognized as the best crude oil in the international oil market.
Natural Gas
Urhoboland is one of the leading producers of Natural Gas in the Western Niger Delta. The establishment of major gas-based industries in Urhoboland attests to the abundance of natural gas reserves in the area. The gas-based facilities include the following:
Otorogu Gas Plant, Otu-Jeremi
As stated earlier, this is the largest gas-processing plant in Sub-Saharan Africa. It processes Natural Gas for the Utorogu-Escavos-Lagos gas pipeline, the Egbin Thermal Station in Ikorodu, the Shagamu Cement Factory, Industrial Estates in Ikeja, Ogba and Ilupeju in Lagos, as well as Agbara in Ogun State. The gas also feeds the West African Gas Project that takes Nigerian Gas to Benin Republic, Togo and Ghana. It is proposed that the gas pipeline will be extended to Cote d’Ivoire, Liberia and Sierra Leone. Under the NATIONAL GAS MASTER PLAN, the pipeline network to deliver gas to all major cities and industrial zones in the Federation will be fed to a large extent by natural gas from Urhobo land.
TRANSCORP POWER LIMITED (I – IV) Ughelli
This is the first gas-fired thermal electricity station in South-Western Nigeria. Commissioned in 1966, the station supplies electricity to Benin, Lagos and other parts of the country via the National grid.
iii. Ogorode Power Station, Sapele
The Ogorode Power Station which was commissioned in 1978 feeds major Nigerian cities and large scale electricity consumers via the National grid. Electricity supply from the station was stepped down for consumers in Sapele and environs only in 2007.