Yemisi Izuora
The Managing Director, TotalEnergies EP Nigeria Limited, Mathieu Bouyer, has reaffirmed the company’s commitment to expanding Nigeria’s energy supply while reducing the carbon intensity of its operations.
Mr Bouyer made the remarks during a panel session titled “Capitalising on Africa’s Global Upstream Momentum” at the 9th Nigeria International Energy Summit (NIES 2026), in Abuja, where industry leaders examined investment trends and opportunities across the continent’s oil and gas sector.
According to Mr Bouyer, TotalEnergies’ strategy in Nigeria is built around two core pillars: growing oil and gas production and expanding electricity generation through integrated power solutions, in line with the Company’s global ambition of delivering more energy with less emission.
“Our strategy is about growing energy as a whole,” Mr Bouyer said, noting that Nigeria remains a key market within TotalEnergies’ global portfolio and continues to compete with other countries for upstream investment capital.
Mr Bouyer explained that the company’s immediate priority was maximising value from its existing assets, spanning onshore gas and offshore oil and gas developments. He highlighted the recently sanctioned Ubeta Gas project, which is designed to deliver up to 300 million cubic feet of gas per day, alongside several additional projects currently under evaluation.
On sustainability, Mr Bouyer disclosed that TotalEnergies eliminated routine gas flaring across all its Nigerian operations since 2023, marking a major milestone in its emissions reduction programme. He said that the company has deployed advanced methane detection technologies, including its own proprietary technology AUSEA, which was developed to monitor emissions in real time and enable rapid intervention. In addition to the deployment of AUSEA, Mr Bouyer added that TotalEnergies EP Nigeria Limited has also installed 2,500 Permanent Emission Monitoring Systems (PEMPs) across all its production sites in Nigeria.
He also announced plans to commission a five megawatt solar power plant at OML 58 to supply electricity to the Ubeta Gas Project, describing it as one of the world’s first near net zero gas developments.
Bouyer underscored the importance of partnerships with Nigerian companies, describing collaboration with local operators as critical to accelerating project delivery and unlocking value for the broader economy.
He cited long standing joint ventures with AMNI, Conoil, and Sapetro, pointing to flagship projects such as Egina FPSO and Akpo Condensate as evidence of successful cooperation between international and indigenous operators. He also disclosed ongoing work with Conoil to appraise deep offshore resources, alongside planned exploration drilling with Sapetro.
“When we work with local partners, it enables us to move faster and create value, not just for ourselves, but for the country,” Mr Bouyer said.
Beyond the plenary discussions, Bouyer and members of his management team also engaged with students from three schools who visited the TotalEnergies exhibition booth at NIES 2026, reinforcing the company’s focus on knowledge transfer, skills development, and nurturing future energy professionals.