Partners Shell, Total and Agip have already offloaded equity from concessions in Nigeria's Niger Delta and, despite assurances from ExxonMobil that it is not in retreat, it seems some form of limited divestment worth $3 billion is imminent, writes Barry Morgan.
“A lot of due diligence and know-your-client activity is going on for onshore and offshore acreage and the data rooms are open,” says the chief executive of one indigenous player with producing assets, suggesting the buzzards were hovering over a swathe of saleable and revoked acreage.
