Nigeria’s indigenous integrated energy company Heirs Energies has announced a significant breakthrough with the innovative, rigless recompletion of a key non-associated gas well in Oil Mining Licence 17 (OML 17).

The OML 17, one of Nigeria’s largest onshore oil and gas fields, is operateNigeria #bnad as a 45/55 joint venture (JV) with the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL).

“This pioneering intervention – the first of its kind in Nigeria – has doubled the JV’s gas output to a peak of 135 million standard cubic feet (mmcf) per day [3.82mn cubic metres (mcm) per day], delivering a significant boost to domestic gas supply and strengthening the nation’s energy security,” Heirs Energies said in a press release on November 27.

Heirs Energies supplies natural gas to its sister companies, Transcorp Power Plc (NGX:TRANSPOWER) and TransAfam Power Ltd, enabling their electricity generation. The company has made a deliberate and strategic commitment to the domestic gas-to-power sector. As a result, Nigeria’s Eastern Network has seen a sharp increase in electricity output following higher gas supply to generating plants.

According to Heirs Energies, the TransAfam plant has boosted production from about 50 MW to over 180 MW, reaching 200 MW at peak. Other plants on the same network, including First Independent Power Limited (FIPL) and Geometric Power have also stabilised and raised output. Overall generation from the gas-supplied plants has climbed from roughly 100 MW to more than 350 MW, enough to power hundreds of thousands of homes and businesses and strengthen essential services.

Heirs Energies revived a previously shut-in well, which was closed because of high water output, by carrying out a rigless through-tubing recompletion into an untapped reservoir interval. According to the company’s press statement, the work was done safely, quickly, and at only 15% of the cost of drilling a new well, offering a new benchmark for low-cost, efficient rigless operations in Nigeria’s upstream industry.

Olu Verheijen, Special Adviser to the President on Energy, commended Heirs Energies’ team on this achievement, which she said was a testament to the strength of Nigerian engineering expertise.

“Please be assured of my continued support as you expand your operation across the energy sector, unlocking additional oil and gas resources to power homes, industries and commercial activities nationwide,” she wrote to Heirs Energies CEO Osa Igiehon.

The NNPC-Heirs Energies OML 17 JV is pushing ahead with gas-focused projects to increase domestic gas supply, improve power generation, and develop local skills. The latest progress shows the venture is continuing to support Nigeria’s wider economic and industrial development.

“This innovative intervention demonstrates NNPC’s strong commitment to unlocking the nation’s gas resources in support of national development,” said Udy Ntia, NNPCL’s Executive Vice President, Upstream. “The performance of the NNPC/Heirs Energies OML 17 Joint Venture shows the power of partnership, disciplined execution, and innovation in driving substantial value for Nigeria.”

According to Osa Igiehon, this milestone is another testament to Heirs Energies’ leading capabilities in managing brownfields. “The ingenuity, thoroughness, and resilience of our 100% Nigerian workforce made this possible. We remain committed to supporting Nigeria’s gas-to-power agenda through innovation-led, responsible, and performance-driven upstream operations,” Igiehon stated.