Onshore sale? rumours Shell plans to sell its onshore assets in Nigeria were reported in the UK press over the weekend
Abuja in dark over Shell sale talk
Anglo-Dutch supermajor Shell has not informed the government of any plans to sell oilfields in Nigeria, Minister of State for Petroleum Odein Ajumogobia said today.
"Shell has not informed the government of any such plans," Ajumogobia told Reuters, when asked about reports that the company was seeking to sell onshore oil fields valued at up to $5 billion.
"It is indeed curious, if the reports making the rounds in this regard are true, that Shell seem so keen on renewing their expired shallow water leases. We certainly intend to make a formal inquiry," he said.
Shell has declined to comment on the reports.
The Sunday Times reported that Europe's largest oil company planned to sell fields valued at up to $5 billion as Nigeria prepares to impose harsher terms on foreign operators and hand greater control to domestic oil cmpanies.
Shell is the longest-standing foreign oil firm operating in Nigeria, Africa's biggest oil and gas producer.
The Sunday Times said Chinese state-owned oil group Sinopec had requested information about the fields and that Nigeria's independent oil group Oando and London-listed Afren could also be interested.