Esso Exploration and Production Nigeria Limited (EEPNL), the Nigerian affiliate of ExxonMobil, has declared force majeure on crude oil exports from the Erha deepwater oil field after damage to critical export equipment disrupted operations.

The company said the declaration followed an unexpected fault affecting the floating buoy used for crude export at the Erha Floating Production, Storage and Offloading (FPSO) facility. As a result, crude loading activities have been temporarily suspended while repairs are carried out.

EEPNL said it is working to restore export operations as quickly as possible and has notified relevant stakeholders of the development. The company added that updates will be provided as repair efforts progress.

The Erha field, located about 100 kilometres offshore in the western Niger Delta on Oil Mining Lease (OML) 133, is one of Nigeria’s largest deepwater oil-producing assets with an estimated production capacity of 200,000 barrels per day.

A prolonged disruption at the facility could reduce Nigeria’s crude oil production and exports, with potential implications for foreign exchange earnings and government oil revenues.

The incident comes as Nigeria has been making steady progress in increasing crude oil production through improved security measures, reduced oil theft and efforts to address operational challenges across the upstream sector.