Waltersmith Petroman Oil was incorporated in 1996 as a joint venture between Waltersmith and Associates, a Nigerian company and Petroman Oil of Calgary, Canada, to operate as an oil exploration and production company. In 2001, Waltersmith Petroman Oil became a wholly owned Nigerian company with the divestment of Petroman Oil. The company was awarded the Ibigwe field located in Oil Mining Lease 16 by the Federal Government of Nigeria in 2003. Consequently, Waltersmith was designated the operator of the field.