NNPCL Gears Up for Oil Exploration in Ogun

By Abimbola Bamgbose 

The quest of Ogun State to be an oil producing state will soon materialize as the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Limited, NNPCL, sets to begin oil and gas exploration in the Gateway State.

Stakeholders in the oil industry, including the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Oil), Heineken Lokpobiri,  Managing Director, SHELL Petroleum Development Company Ltd, Mr. Osagie Okubor; Chief Executive, Nigeria Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission, Engr. Gbenga Komolafe and the Group Chief Executive Officer, NNPC Ltd, Mr Mele Kyari, stormed Ogun State on Friday on plans by the Federal Government to start oil exploration in the state.

They were received by Governor Dapo Abiodun and his Deputy, Engr. Noimot Salako-Oyedele.

Hon. Lokpobiri, who spoke at the Governor’s Office, Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta said Ogun State had always been part of the Dahomey Basin with prospect of having huge deposit of hyrdro-carbon.

Hon. Lokpobiri who added that oil and gas remain the quickest way to Nigeria’s economic prosperity, said his team is in the State in continuation of the campaign for exploration activities.

He said the visit was also to demonstrate the seriousness and commitment of the federal government to shore up its revenue through the oil and gas sector.

The Group Managing Director, Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Limited,(NNPCL) Mr. Mele kyari, while speaking, said Ogun State is blessed to be in the Dahomey Basin corridor with expected high deposit of oil, assuring that the corporation is coming back in ernest to commence exploration activities, even as he expressed the hope that oil would be found in commercial quantity.

Responding, Governor Abiodun said Ogun State is part of the OPLs 302,303 306, 307, saying the acreages present unique opportunities for the qualification as a Frontier Exploration State as defined in the PIA section 9.

He observed that the history and studies over the years allow any investment under the frontier exploration basin funding to not only realize the oil and gas potentials, but also acquire data that would aid Bitumen exploration and exploitation in Nigeria. 

The country, Abiodun maintained holds the second largest resolves in the world of 42,b tons, adding that a lot of studies have shown the potential of the basins, which brings Ogun State to the fore and projecting it towards becoming a beneficiary to achieve commercial success and derive economic benefits from exploration and production within a minimum time schedule.  

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