TotalEnergies Expresses Strong Interest in Nigeria’s 2025 Oil and Gas Licensing Round
French energy giant TotalEnergies has reaffirmed its keen interest in participating in Nigeria’s upcoming 2025 oil and gas licensing round, scheduled to begin on 1 December 2025, barely a year after securing two deep-water blocks in the 2024 mini-bid round.
The declaration was made on Tuesday in Abuja when Mr Nicolas Terraz, President of TotalEnergies Exploration and Production, led a senior delegation — including Mr Mathieu Bouyer, Managing Director/CEO of TotalEnergies Upstream Nigeria — on a courtesy visit to the Chief Executive of the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), Engr. Gbenga Komolafe.
Mr Terraz commended the NUPRC for the transparency and credibility demonstrated during the 2024 mini-bid round, which culminated in TotalEnergies and its partner, South Atlantic Petroleum, signing Production Sharing Contracts for PPL 2000 and 2001 last September. He expressed confidence that the 2025 round would build on those successes, citing improved regulatory clarity and investor-friendly reforms introduced under the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) 2021.
“Drawing from the positive experience of the 2024 bid round, we are optimistic about the new bid round,” Mr Terraz stated, while reiterating TotalEnergies’ long-term commitment to Nigeria as a strategic pillar of its global portfolio.
In response, Engr. Komolafe welcomed the company’s continued confidence in the Nigerian upstream sector and encouraged active participation in the forthcoming round, which he said is designed to attract high-calibre investors and unlock new exploration frontiers.
Speaking separately at the close of a two-day media workshop in Lagos, the NUPRC CEO highlighted tangible progress in the sector despite the global energy-transition headwinds. He noted that Nigeria has repeatedly exceeded 1.7 million barrels per day in crude oil production this year, rig count has risen to nearly 70 (with over 40 active), and the Commission has approved Field Development Plans worth approximately US$20 billion in the past ten months.
Komolafe attributed the gains to PIA-driven regulatory instruments and supportive Executive Orders issued by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, adding that the 2025 licensing round will be “even more transparent and globally competitive” than its predecessor.
The NUPRC chief also urged energy journalists to prioritise factual, context-rich and development-oriented reporting, emphasising that positive perception is critical to sustaining investor confidence in Nigeria’s oil and gas industry.
