Chidubem has extensive experience advising across the entire spectrum of the oil and gas industry; and has been repeatedly ranked by the International Financial Law Review (IFLR) as a leading lawyer for his work on market-defining transactions in the oil and gas sector. He holds an MBA from the University of South Wales, UK.

Chidubem held management positions in two top-tier law firms in Nigeria, where he led and managed teams that advised major oil and gas industry participants such as NNPC Limited, Nigeria LNG Limited, Shell Petroleum Development Company Limited etc. on a broad range of matters spanning debt and equity capital raise, strategy and operations, and project development.

Chidubem has supported various companies on several cross-border corporate and project financings cumulatively raising more than USD35 billion. Also, Chidubem is part of the core team that developed the current template of the financing and technical services agreements, which has been utilised by NNPC Limited/NNPC E&P Limited to raise over USD10 billion for the development of oil and gas assets across Nigeria.

30 years of experience working in oil and gas work spanning well site operations, multi-basin exploration, development, and production geoscience, leading up to technical leadership roles in a challenging mature field setting, spanning various depositional environments (continental fluviatile and lacustrine systems, coastal to shallow marine systems, and deep-water depositional systems).

Significant achievements and recognition spread as evidenced in flawless management of a heritage 6-rig campaign drilling ~ 60 wells per year in the Niger Delta JV for ExxonMobil Nigeria. Significant contributions in well site personnel deployment logistics, coring design & execution, pipe conveyed / wire line logging protocols & coordination (1994 – 2002). Production / Development & Exploration Geologist (2002 – 2012) – Near Field wildcatter / Exploration Oil Finder – 100% success rate in 7 exploration / Near Field Wildcats matured and drilled, leading to over 200MBOE in resource adds for ExxonMobil Exploration Upstream Nigeria affiliates.

Developing base business and supporting volumes growth – overseeing geoscience work programme with responsibilities for drilling on 4 active rigs supporting over 300kBD of production from several fields as a Technical Team Lead (2012 to 2015) and Affiliate Geoscience Coordinator. Developing people and deploying enhanced oil field technical best practices to support organizational growth – recognized industry mentor. Chief COPDC OML 65 FTSA Negotiator and pioneer Technical Head since 2017.

30 years’ experience in oil and gas technical, commercial, policy professional and leader with extensive industry knowledge and network. Industry experience spanned Sub-surface Engineering (Well & Reservoir Engineering), Field Development Planning and Management, Workforce/Team Coordination and Leadership, Economic Evaluation, Field Production and Operations Management, Regulatory Compliance & Interface Management (DPR, NAPIMS, NCDMB, Reservoir Study Management, Engineering Computing & Data Management, Project Management, Oil and Gas Policy Development and Implementation, Speech Writing & Presentation.

Prior roles have included Managing Partner (Zera Advisory), Special Adviser (Policy & Regulation) to Honorable Minister Of State, Petroleum Resources, Ministry of Petroleum Resources Abuja, Chief Operating Officer Woodway Ltd, Reservoir Simulation Advisor/ Usan Field Study Lead Mobil Producing Nigeria, Global Simulation Advisor/ Senior Engineering Specialist ExxonMobil Upstream Research Houston Texas, Studies Team Lead/ Senior Staff Reservoir Engineer Mobil Producing Nigeria and Technical Speech Writer/ Nigerian Content and Process Controls Advisor Mobil Producing Nigeria. Fellow of Nigerian Society of Engineers and former Chairman of the Nigerian Society of Petroleum Engineers.