The Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission has revoked the operating licence of the Oritsemeyin Rig after a drilling incident at the UDIBE-2 wellbore raised serious safety concerns.
In a statement posted on its official X on Friday, the commission said the licence revocation followed a review of the UDIBE-2 drilling operation.
During the operation, a “kick”—an uncontrolled flow of formation fluids into the wellbore—was recorded, resulting in several non-productive hours, additional costs, and a forced sidetrack of the well.
“The Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) has revoked the operating licence of OritsemeyinRig and directed it to cease all operations upon the completion of its current well operations.
“The notice is contained in a letter dated September 11, 2025, addressed to Selective Marine Services Limited (SMSL) and signed by the Commission Chief Executive, Engineer Gbenga Komolafe.
“The NUPRC said in a statement on Friday 12 September 2025 that the decision followed a thorough review of the circumstances surrounding the drilling of UDIBE-2 wellbore during which a kick was recorded, resulting in several Non-Productive Time (NPT) with consequential cost and a forced well sidetrack,” the statement read in part.
The NUPRC said it had previously issued a formal notice of culpability to Selective Marine Services Limited (SMSL), the rig’s operator, on June 5, 2025, giving the company a 21-day window to address the issues. A follow-up reminder was sent on July 9, 2025, but SMSL failed to achieve compliance within the stipulated timeframe.
“Consequent upon the forgoing and pursuant to the relevant powers conferred on the commission under the extant Petroleum Industry Act 2021, the annual licence to operate granted to Selective Marine Services Limited for the Oritsemeyin Rig is hereby revoked,” the commission stated.
The upstream regulator further disqualified the Oritsemeyin Rig from all renewal processes, noting that the sanction takes immediate effect under the law.
As a result, Selective Marine Services Limited is prohibited from applying for any future licence renewal, effectively terminating the rig’s operational status in Nigeria’s upstream sector.
