A Nigerian geologist, Dr. Omonigho Egbo, has identified and analysed 26 oil samples across four geolog- ical zones in the Niger Delta region that have three distinct petroleum potentials to unlock the future of Nigeria. Speaking at the 30th Colloquium of African Geology (CAG 30) in Nairobi, Kenya, he listed them to include, terrestrial-deltaic, marine-derived and mixed-source oils.

He said the analysis becomes imperative as President Bola Tinubu has doubled down on boosting domestic production and attracting foreign investment to renew Nigeria’s energy sector. He said the three would provide essential tools for enhancing oil recovery, optimising exploration and mitigating losses from post-generation alterations.

Egbo, who spoke alongside collaborators, Prof. Olubunmi C. Adeigbe and Dr. Onoriode Esegbue, under the theme, “Unveiling Africa’s Geological Resources: Forging a Path for Sustainable Development,” maintained that the findings were not mere academically significant.

He said, “Under President Bola Tinubu’s administration’s economic blueprint, oil re- mains the country’s primary revenue source, but with ambitious targets for value-chain optimization, transparency in oil accounting, and improved recovery rates.”

He said the scientific breakthrough ad- dresses long-standing challenges in reservoir correlation and oil-source tracking, equipping Nigeria’s oil operators with the analytical precision needed to better manage reserves and reduce costly inefficiencies.

He said the research provided the exact kind of scientific data and reservoir intelligence required to achieve these goals as in particular, his findings support the administration’s focus on maximising recovery from mature fields, such as those in the Greater Ughelli depobelt; reducing exploration risks by accurately predicting oil system characteristics and a deeper understanding of oil quality and composition that can enhance the outcomes of domestic refining.