Scheduled for its official inauguration by President Bola p Tinubu on October 8, 2025, the Otakipko Onshore Crude Oil Export Terminal is poised to significantly reduce crude oil evacuation expenses in Nigeria, according to Green Energy International Limited (GEIL), the company managing the project.
Situated in Ikuru town within the Andoni local government area of Rivers State, this terminal represents a historic achievement as Nigeria’s first fully indigenous onshore crude oil export facility constructed in over five decades.
Olusegun Ilori, GEIL’s Executive Director of Legal and Corporate Services, highlighted that the terminal’s launch is in line with the federal government’s comprehensive plan to enhance oil production while cutting operational costs throughout the sector.
With an investment of $400 million, the terminal commenced operations at the Otakipko field (PML 11) and currently offers a storage capacity of 750,000 barrels, with future expansion targets set at three million barrels.
Its daily loading capability stands at 360,000 barrels, providing a state-of-the-art and efficient channel for crude oil evacuation.
Professor Anthony Adegbulugbe, chairman and CEO of Green Energy and the chief host for the commissioning ceremony, hailed the terminal as a “transformative national asset.”
Evacuation bottlenecks have long been recognized as a major hurdle in achieving the federal government’s ambition of producing three million barrels of crude oil per day. The Otakipko terminal will serve as a vital export hub for more than 40 oil fields that were previously stranded, unlocking millions of barrels of crude that had remained inaccessible due to inadequate export infrastructure.
“This facility is set to lower crude evacuation costs, improve operational efficiency, and thereby support Nigeria’s sustainable increase in oil production,” Professor Adegbulugbe remarked.
He further noted that the terminal will stimulate economic growth by enabling these 40 oil fields to contribute substantially to the nation’s oil output, thanks to its enhanced evacuation capacity.
The commissioning event will convene prominent figures such as the Governor of Rivers State, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, senior federal representatives, and the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Oil), Senator Heineken Lokpobiri, highlighting the terminal’s strategic significance to Nigeria’s energy landscape and economic development.
The Otakipko Crude Oil Export Terminal stands as a landmark advancement in cutting evacuation costs, overcoming production barriers, and promoting indigenous involvement in Nigeria’s oil and gas industry.
