Appeal Court Confirms Halkin E&P's Ownership of OML 46

The Appeal Court in Port Harcourt reaffirmed Halkin Exploration and Production (E&P) as the legal owner and operator of OML 46, specifically the Atala Marginal Oil Field. The ruling was delivered by Justice Moham Ibrahim Sirajo, with a panel including Justices M. Sanni and Elejo Enoch.

The court upheld a 2025 Federal High Court ruling from Yenagoa, where Justice Ayo Emmanuel dismissed a suit filed by Bayelsa Oil Company Limited that contested the award of OML 46 to Halkin E&P. The appeal panel maintained that the case was statute-barred and that Bayelsa Oil Company Limited lacked the legal standing to challenge the ownership and operational rights of Halkin E&P.

In response to the ruling, Mr. Chikaosolu Ojukwu, counsel for the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), noted that the judgment reaffirms the legal status of Halkin E&P as the rightful operator in the upstream oil sector.