Sirius Gets Nigeria Drilling Consent

Nigeria's environment ministry has approved the environmental impact assessment (EIA) survey on the Ororo Field Licence (OML 95), its licensee AIM-listed niche Nigeria explorer Sirius Petroleum said July 18. The approval covers the drilling of three wells on the shallow water Ororo field and the installation of wellhead platforms.

The EIA was submitted for approval in April by Sirius and its partners Guarantee Petroleum and Owena Oil & Gas. On July 12, Sirius said that Nigeria's Ministry of Petroleum Resources had granted it and its two partners a three-year extension to their OML95 licence with effect from May 1, 2016. 

In April, Sirius said the potential exists to develop and market gas as Compressed Natural Gas (CNG), in addition to earning revenues from liquids. Sirius has no current production, with Ororo planned to be its first producing field. The company made a $4mn loss in 2015, down from $5.6mn in 2014.

Mark Smedley