Manuscript Title

Abstract Deepwater oil and gas fields offshore Nigeria remain vital for national energy security and revenue amid global energy transition pressures and investor caution. The acreage holds untapped potential of 5.13 billion barrels of oil and 13.53 trillion cubic feet of gas, with cluster and nodal developments potentially adding 810,000 barrels per day. Optimizing well performance involves high capital intensity, reservoir uncertainty, and climate implications. Projects like Shell's Bonga North tieback and ExxonMobil's $1.5 billion Usan investment signal confidence, but require justification against rising CAPEX, operational costs, and carbon footprint reduction needs. This paper examines strategies including integrated reservoir characterization, advanced water-injection optimization, and real-time monitoring—to enhance recovery while managing economic and transition risks. Through synthesis of recent production data, investment trends, and Nigerian case studies (e.g., Bonga, Egina, Usan), it includes a comparative analysis with Gulf of Mexico fields sharing similar Miocene turbidite reservoirs. GoM approaches—subsea tiebacks, high-pressure technology, all-electric/low-emission platforms, and enhanced recovery techniques—illustrate ways to boost recovery factors (often 40–60%+), cut CAPEX via infrastructure reuse, and minimize emissions. Findings emphasize adaptive frameworks, operator-regulator collaboration, and climate-informed criteria for viability. Recommendations focus on GoM-inspired technology deployment (e.g., tiebacks, digital monitoring), innovative financing, and regulatory adaptations to sustainably maximize Nigeria's deepwater value.