Commercial oil of the Niger Delta
Petróleo comercial del delta del Níger
- Date
- 1956 · confidence high
- Place
- Oloibiri, Ogbia, Bayelsa, Nigeria
- Credited to
- Shell-BP Petroleum Development Company
- Field
- Matter & energy
What was discovered
In 1956 Shell-BP found commercial oil at the Oloibiri-1 well, after years of exploration since 1937. Production began in 1958 and made Nigeria a major producer.
The well ran dry and was abandoned around 1978; there is a local museum. Delta communities benefited little.
What it led to
- a Nigerian economy dependent on oil
- the Niger Delta conflict and environmental damage
- Nigeria's accession to OPEC (1971)