Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) has expressed its readiness to collaborate with Nigerian Mining and Geosciences Society (NMGS) to growing the nation’s hydrocarbon reserves, Dr Maikanti Baru, has said.
Baru, the Group Managing Director of NNPC, spoke shortly after being conferred with the honorary fellowship of the society in Kano, the Corporation’s Spokesman, Mr Ndu Ughamadu said in a statement in Abuja on Tuesday.
Baru said the “indispensable role” played by geoscientists, mining engineers as well as metallurgists toward the development of the nation’s oil and gas industry was critical to the attainment of the NNPC’s core mandate.
”NNPC pledges to continue to work with you and every willing partner in the search for more hydrocarbon deposits in the country,” he said.
Baru said it was in line with this collaboration that NNPC developed a strategy involving various geoscience departments in the country’s tertiary institutions which culminated in the renewed search for hydrocarbon deposits in the inland basins.
”Our search is primarily targeted at increasing the hydrocarbon reserves of the country and also to harness these resources which may be in other parts of the country,” he added.
He described as saddening the unfortunate incident which claimed the lives of some University of Maiduguri staff working on the Chad Basin exploration and the loss of one of NNPC member of staff working on the Benue Trough exploration in 2017.
”I pledge on behalf of the NNPC that their sacrifice shall not be in vain.
”There is no better way to honour the efforts of our gallant heroes than to continue the good work they died for,” Baru said.
On the Chad Basin exploration, he observed that the corporation planned to drill four wells in areas that it had acquired 1, 961kmsq 3D seismic data out of 3,550kmsq planned.
He said NNPC would be going into the deeper Maiduguri sub-basin to acquire more 3D seismic data as soon as normalcy returned to Chad Basin.
”While waiting for normalcy to return to the Chad Basin, we have stepped up efforts in the Lower Benue trough. So far, we have acquired 20km of 2D data out of the planned 455km 2D seismic data,” he said.
On the Gongola Basin, Baru said four wells were also being planned for drilling to further test the prospects identified around Kolmani River-1, Nasara-1 and Kuzari-1 in 2018.
Earlier in his speech, the President of NMGS, Prof. Silas Dada, said the Society was honounring Baru for his untiring commitment and service to the growth of the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry.
Established in 1977 for the advancement and practice of mining, earth sciences and metallurgy, the Nigerian Mining and geosciences Society (NMGS) is charged with upholding the ethics and safeguarding the interests of the professions covered by the society.
