Oil search in Nigeria’s inland basins has received a boost following the commencement of exploration activities in the Nasarawa State’s section of the Benue Trough by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation.
The Group Managing Director, NNPC, Dr. Maikanti Baru, announced this during a visit to the Nasarawa State Governor, Tanko Almakura, in Lafia on Thursday.
Baru stated that the visit was in fulfilment of the presidential mandate that the NNPC should resume oil exploration activities in some of the nation’s inland basins, including the Chad Basin and Benue Trough.
He said the mandate was driven by the urgent need for the country to increase its oil and gas reserves, thereby improving revenue streams and creating more business and employment opportunities for Nigerians.
“I am happy to be personally here to kick-start the beginning of a high-profile stakeholders’ engagement towards oil exploration in the Nasarawa State’s part of the Benue Trough,” he stated.
Baru noted that NNPC, through its Frontier Exploration Services, would do everything possible to operate peacefully among the people and with much respect for the environment.
He said the corporation’s Frontier Exploration Services had already mobilised Integrated Data Services Limited, an upstream arm of the NNPC, to acquire seismic data in the Benue Trough from the Keana area.
“I am convinced that the success of the results from the IDSL’s seismic data acquisition will lead to the drilling of exploration wells in the area, which hopefully will launch Nasarawa State into the league of oil producing states in the country,” Baru said.
Earlier, the governor had expressed delight over the oil search in his state and assured the NNPC of the state government’s support towards the oil search in the frontier.
