Heritage Energy Operational Services Limited, the operator of Oil Mining Lease (OML) 30, has announced a significant positive shift in the asset's performance. The company attributes this turnaround to a sustained period of behind-the-scenes restructuring, continuous investment, and governance reforms, which are now resulting in increased production, strengthened reserves, and renewed confidence among stakeholders.
A Strategic Focus on Long-Term Stability
Adesola Adebawo, the General Manager for Government, Joint Venture and External Relations at Heritage Energy, addressed the media during a stakeholders' engagement in Lagos on 25 December 2025. He revealed that OML 30 has successfully navigated a difficult period by deliberately choosing a path focused on long-term stability and structural reforms instead of pursuing immediate, short-term profits.
Adebawo explained that the asset, which is managed on behalf of the joint venture partners NNPC Exploration and Production Limited (NEPL) and Shoreline Natural Resources Limited (SNRL), presented considerable challenges when the current operators took over. These inherited issues included production pressures, significant infrastructure gaps, and a complicated stakeholder landscape that severely tested the asset's resilience.
Overcoming a Period of 'Downward Growth'
The General Manager described the initial phase as a time of 'downward growth', marked by intense operational strain. "Production pressures, inherited constraints, infrastructure gaps, and a complex stakeholder environment pushed us to our limits," Adebawo told journalists. He emphasized that management consciously avoided the temptation of quick fixes, opting instead for a more demanding strategy centered on rebuilding core systems, enhancing governance, and instilling strict operational discipline across all activities.
The Invisible Work Behind the Recovery
"When we assumed stewardship on behalf of our JV partners, SNRL and NEPL, we met an asset at a crossroads," Adebawo stated. "And we had a choice: chase quick fixes or do the hard, sometimes invisible work that would give the asset a chance at real, lasting stability. We chose the latter."
He noted that the early efforts did not generate headlines or immediate applause. The focus was on steady, deliberate work: upgrading infrastructure, investing in digital tools and workforce capability, and making strategic decisions that would ensure sustainable future performance. This approach was aligned with a shared vision with their JV partners to operate a world-class independent energy company capable of generating long-term value.
Adebawo concluded by affirming that OML 30 remains one of Nigeria's largest onshore assets and is now on a firmer footing to deliver responsible value to its shareholders, partners, employees, and host communities.
