Job details
Senior Drilling Engineer at WAEP – Lagos
West African Exploration and Production Company (WAEP) seeks a Senior Drilling Engineer in Lagos to lead well design, drilling programmes and operational support for exploration, appraisal and development wells. The role balances well integrity, safety, cost and schedule performance.
Department: Wells. Reports to: Wells Manager / EGM Wells.
Role Purpose
- Lead drilling engineering design, planning and execution support for safe, efficient and cost-effective delivery of exploration, appraisal and development wells.
Key Responsibilities
- Develop drilling programmes, basis of design, well trajectories, casing and cementing designs and drilling execution plans.
- Prepare cost and time estimates, AFEs and drilling schedules; monitor performance against plan.
- Provide technical support during drilling operations and resolve drilling dysfunctions and operational challenges.
- Lead well risk assessments, DWOPs, technical reviews and lessons-learned processes.
- Optimize drilling performance, reduce NPT and identify cost- saving opportunities without compromising well integrity or HSE.
- Coordinate drilling contractors, service companies and multidisciplinary interfaces.
- Ensure compliance with well control, company standards, regulatory requirements and approved management-of- change processes.
- Support contract technical evaluations, equipment selection and drilling performance reporting.
- Mentor junior engineers and promote technical assurance and knowledge transfer.
Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
- Safe and timely delivery of assigned activities
- Compliance with planned maintenance/well execution schedules
- Quality and accuracy of technical documentation and reporting
- Reduction of operational downtime, failures or non- productive time as applicable
- HSE and regulatory compliance
- Effective contractor/stakeholder coordination
Qualifications & Experience
- Bachelor’s Degree in Petroleum, Mechanical, Chemical or related Engineering discipline.
- 10-15 years’ relevant upstream drilling engineering experience, including offshore operations.
- IWCF/IADC well-control certification and relevant professional engineering membership are strongly preferred.
Core Competencies
- Drilling engineering and well design
- Well control and drilling risk management
- Drilling performance optimization
- Cost and schedule control
- Contractor management
- Technical assurance
- HSE leadership
- Stakeholder management
How to apply
Send your CV to the recruitment email address for this position.
Email subject
Senior Drilling Engineer Application
Closing date
20 October 2026
Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.
Email your application to careers@waepco.com.
Check the employer and application instructions before sharing personal information.
About the employer
West African Exploration and Production Company (WAEP) is registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission of Nigeria (RC 1173358). The company states a strategic partnership comprising Dangote Exploration Assets Limited (80%), Dansa Energy Resources Limited (5%) and First Exploration and Petroleum Development Company Limited (15%).
WAEP acquired a 45% working interest in OML 71 and OML 72 from the SPDC joint venture in 2015 and operates both assets for the WAEP–NNPC joint venture. The blocks lie south of Bonny Island. OML 72 contains the discovered fields Kalaekule, KD, Koronama, Kugbe, KL, KQ and Kappa; OML 71 has KI and KI South.
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