Jim Swartz (2nd R) with other speakers and industry players in a group photograph after the panel session
By Francis Sadhere, Warri
The Chairman and Managing Director of Chevron companies in Nigeria, Jim Swartz, has called for a balanced and pragmatic approach to shaping Nigeria’s energy future, stressing the need to meet rising energy demands while advancing the transition to lower-carbon solutions.
Swartz made the remarks during a strategic panel session on “Pragmatically Achieving Energy Abundance” at the ongoing 2025 Nigeria Oil and Gas (NOG) Energy Week in Abuja.
He stressed the importance of balancing economic growth, energy security, and environmental sustainability in conversations about energy development.
He reiterated Chevron’s belief that oil and gas will remain an essential part of the global energy mix for the foreseeable future, even as the world moves toward a lower-carbon future.
“Chevron leverages its strengths to safely deliver lower carbon energy to a growing world while adapting to changes, continuously improving its processes, and building resilience to remain competitive,” Swartz said.
According to him, Chevron’s transformation agenda in Nigeria, dubbed the “North Star” strategy, focuses on three key pillars: improving base business operations, growing production, and monetizing gas resources.
Calling attention to Chevron’s continued investment in Nigeria, Swartz noted that the company remains the only International Oil Company (IOC) maintaining active operations across Onshore, Shallow Water, and Deepwater assets.
He also emphasized Chevron’s early conversion of all its Joint Venture and Agbami leases under the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA), unlocking new exploration and development opportunities.
“Our recent strategic initiatives include the farm-in into OPL 215 to enhance deepwater prospects, the 20-year renewal of three deepwater leases, seismic data acquisition in deepwater blocks, and our ongoing shallow water infill drilling campaign using two rigs. We are also drilling new exploration wells and accelerating production from the Meji Northwest discovery,” he revealed.
Swartz stressed the role of innovation in driving efficiency and sustainability in energy operations. “Technology plays a crucial role in energy development, whether through digital transformation, renewable energy integration, smart grids, supply chain optimization, or environmental monitoring,” he stated.
He commended the Federal Government for its ongoing reforms in the oil and gas sector and called for stronger collaboration between government, industry players, and stakeholders to boost the sector’s global competitiveness.
“Chevron takes a long view of Nigeria, and we look forward to being a part of the country’s prosperous energy future,” Swartz concluded.
