THE Nigerian government said Wednesday it signed a major deepwater oil production sharing accord with several foreign companies. The agreement is the first to be signed between state-run Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation and oil prospecting companies since Nigeria’s deepwater concessions were allocated last year via an open bid system, it said. The production sharing accord gives Chevron Nigeria Deepwater Ltd 50%, Shell Nigeria Offshore Prospecting Ltd 35%, and Brasoil Services Company, an affiliate of Petrobas Nigeria, 15%. The agreement is for a 30-year duration. – Sapa