Renaissance Africa Energy Company Limited has announced a significant hydrocarbon discovery off Nigeria’s coast.

Tony Attah,  the managing director, said in a statement in Port Harcourt on Tuesday that the discovery followed the successful drilling of the JK-004 exploration well located in oil mining lease (OML) 74.

Mr Attah said preliminary evaluation showed that the well encountered about 1,000 feet of hydrocarbon-bearing column across seven reservoirs, describing the discovery as a major milestone in the company’s exploration programme.

According to him, the initial log interpretation and fluid analysis confirmed excellent reservoir quality and the presence of light oil.

He said the discovery demonstrated Renaissance’s commitment to advancing Nigeria’s long-term oil production objectives.

“The success of JK-004, just over one year after assuming operatorship of these assets, demonstrates the strength of our exploration programme,” he said.

The managing director said the achievement reflected effective collaboration with the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), TotalEnergies and Agip Energy and Natural Resources.

Mr Attah also commended the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) and the company’s joint venture partners for their support.

“Their strategic guidance contributed to value delivery across the joint venture assets,” he added.

Also speaking, Renaissance vice president of xploration and chief explorer, Dr Johnbosco Uche, attributed the discovery to technical excellence and disciplined exploration efforts.

He said the newly discovered well provided a strong foundation for accelerated field development, with clear pathways to early production and value realisation.

“The well’s proximity to existing facilities will support rapid commercialisation of the discovery,” he said.

The chief executive of the NUPRC, Oritsemeyiwa Eyesan, said the discovery was consistent with the commission’s goal of increasing Nigeria’s hydrocarbon reserves.

He pledged continued regulatory support to create an enabling environment for investment and growth in the oil and gas sector.

On his part, the executive vice president, upstream, NNPCL, Udobong Ntia, congratulated Renaissance joint venture team for the successful execution of the project.

He said the achievement supported efforts to sustain the growth of the reserves and pledged continued support for exploration activities.

OML 74 is a large shallow-water block in the eastern Niger Delta off Nigeria’s coast.

Renaissance, which now owns Shell’s former onshore and shallow-water assets, operates Nigeria’s largest upstream joint venture with 18 oil leases, two export terminals and an FSPO vessel.

(NAN)