Dr. Chike C. Onyejekwe is the Non-Executive Chairman of the Board of Geyser LNG Limited. A Geologist by background with extensive depth and breath of experience in the oil and gas industry spanning over 35 years in various working, leadership and senior management positions within and outside Nigeria, covering Exploration, Development, Asset Management, Operations and Management. He had been Chairman of Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Company (SNEPCo) Board for six years and a Director of Shell Nigeria Closed Pension Fund Administrator Ltd for three years. In recent years, he has been on the Advisory Board of International Breweries Nigeria, Non Executive Director in Millenium Oil and Gas Company, Chairman Crestsage Limited Board (a Tech Services and Consulantcy Company); Chairman DeltaLift Resources LTD (an Engineering and Project Services Company) etc . He is also a Fellow of NAPE, Member of AAPG, SPE, NMGS etc. In 2016, The Anambra State University found him a worthy professional and outstanding Leader and he was honoured and awarded a Doctor of Science (D.Sc) by the University Senate.
A graduate of Geology with Second Class Upper from University of Nigeria Nsukka, he was employed by Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria Limited (SPDC) in 1978, as a Geologist. He spent the early years of his career and professional growth in the organization carrying out Geological reviews of Oil and Gas Producing Assets, coordinating and leading different integrated oil and gas and Field Development Plans studies in addition to Well drilling and workover operations experience etc. In 1991, based on his demonstrated capacity, performance and potentials, he proceeded on a 5-Year broadening overseas assignment to The Petroleum Development Company of Oman (PDO) in the Middle East as Senior Production Geologist/Seismologist, where he contributed in adding more oil and gas reserves to the overall PDO resource base.
On coming back to Nigeria in 1996, he was appointed SPDC’s Corporate Chief Production Geologist and Seismologist, responsible for technical assurance and approval of all the company’s matured proposed development and appraisal drilling opportunities in SPDC’s producing fields. In 1998, he was broadened into a more integrated oil and gas activities business position. Out of the three asset teams that made up SPDC Eastern Operations PH, he was appointed the West Asset Development Manager, made up of an integrated team of Engineers, Reservoir Engineers, Production Engineers, Petro physicists. Explorationists etc with mandate to carry out project’s maturation and execution activities, in line with jointly agreed Corporate Social Responsibly interventions with the communities. This West Asset team matured, drilled and production-tested the first SPDC horizontal gas wells campaign that drilled into Soku Oil Rim reserves. The horizontal gas wells became the feedstock that started and sustained the supply of Millions of Standard Cubic feet of gas into Soku gas plant that fed the NLNG. In addition, some of the Gas Wells that feed Gbaran Gas plant were matured, drilled and completed by same asset team.
Following a re-organisation in 2000, he was appointed SPDC’s Chief Geologist, a position that became responsible for managing and developing the company’s team of Geologists, as well as geological standards and guidelines required for oil and gas field studies and practices in Shell Companies in Nigeria. In 2003, he was appointed Exploration and Business Development Manager for SPDC, accountable for developing long term exploration and new business strategies for the company, while managing and executing SPDC and JV Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) exploration and appraisal programmes and activities that assured delivery of new discoveries and reserves to boost and sustain the company’s Oil and Gas Production. It was during his tenure that Shell Group began the energy transition from Oil to Gas and with JV partners approved dedicated exploration for Gas. Soku deep gas prospect was matured and drilled successfully; over 2 TCF of gas was discovered and added to SPDC gas resource base, enough volume required for future LNG projects sanctions.
Following the merger of SPDC and SNEPCo Exploration functions, he was further elevated and appointed the Area Exploration General Manager of Shell Nigeria for both SNEPCo PSC and SPDC JV (covering both SNEPCo Deep Water and SPDC Onshore/Shallow Offshore assets), with broadened similar responsibilities as in SPDC for developing exploration strategy inputs into JV and PSC Co-Venturers business plans, that will assure Nigeria’s reserves replacement drive and production growth.
In October 2008, he was appointed Managing Director of Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Company (SNEPCo), Shell’s Deep Water Production Sharing Contract (PSC) operations business with the government. In this position he was accountable for Deep Water oil and gas exploration, development and production activities in Deep Water Nigeria, in addition to managing various external, commercial, contractual, technical and reputational issues with stakeholders, partners and Government.
As he progressed in his technical and leadership roles, he attended several technical, commercial and leadership courses in addition to conferences and workshops both locally and overseas, all of which prepared him subsequently for the more senior technical and leadership positions he eventually occupied. He attended the Ashtridge Business School London and Wharton School of Business, University of Pennsylvania USA, in 2001 and 2003 respectively that further grew his management and leadership skills.
With over 35 years of solid E & P experience in a variety of working and leadership roles, he retired from SNEPCo in 2014. He got offered the position of pioneer GMD of Aiteo Eastern Exploration and Production Company (AEEPCo), the largest Niger Delta Upstream Nigerian Indigenous Oil and Gas company divested by SPDC in terms of resource base, size and production. In his capacity as the GMD, he exercised general management authority and supervisory responsibility over AEEPCo Oil and Gas project maturation and execution, operations and production activities, He retired from Aiteo on May 31st 2019, after taking the oil production from 23,000 b/d at hand over from SPDC to a peak of 95,000 b/d
With 40 years of solid E & P experience in a variety of working and leadership roles, he prides himself as a mature professional with broad knowledge of the E & P Business, excellent communication, interpersonal and negotiation skills that has sustainably resulted in very good network/relationship with other professionals in Government, National Assembly, NNPC Limited, NNPC Upstream Investment Services (NUIS), formerly the National Petroleum Investment Management Services (NAPIMS), Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commision (NUPRC), formerly the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR), other major IOCs and indigenous companies operating in Nigeria, etc.
