NNPC announces oil discovery in Nassarawa

The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited said it was about to drill the first foot of an oil well in Nasarawa State on Friday after discovering oil there.

It added that it would spud the first oil well in Nasarawa State in March 2023 as part of its ongoing oil exploration efforts in the nation's inland basins.

The PUNCH reported on January 5, 2023, that the NNPC was exploring crude oil in additional areas around the north after finding the resource in the states of Bauchi and Gombe.

According to the article, NNPC was conducting coordinated action to expand frontier exploration in the area as part of efforts to support the nation's oil production and reserves.

This information was provided by the firm in a report on the NNPC's frontier exploration services activities from 2020 to 2022, which also listed some potential oil-producing states, including Niger, Nasarawa, Sokoto, Borno, Yobe, Adamawa, Bauchi, and Gombe.

The Anambra basin was identified as another region where the NNPC was looking to locate extra oil, in addition to the North.

Seismic surveys are conducted after the initial stage of prospecting, which is the search for oil and gas reserves.

When the Governor of the state, Abdullahi Sule, led a delegation of notable natives on a courtesy visit to NNPC in Abuja on Friday, Mele Kyari, group chief executive officer of NNPC, revealed the oil finding and the anticipated spud-in.

The corporation's spokesperson, Garba-Deen Mohammad, released a statement in Abuja on behalf of Kyari in which he claimed that the findings of exploratory efforts had established the existence of significant hydrocarbon resources in the state.

He urged swift action on the project as investments in fossil fuels had decreased as a result of the world's energy transition.

“This work must be done very fast because the whole world is walking away from fossil fuel due to energy transition, the earlier you go to market, the better for you,” Kyari stated.

He added, “Otherwise, 10 years from now, no one will agree to put money in the petroleum business unless it comes from your cash flow.”

He claimed that in order to avoid the Niger Delta's problems, community support and a favourable climate were essential for a successful operation in the region.

Abdullahi Sule, the governor of Nasarawa State, responded by congratulating the head of NNPC on the start-up of oil production and the Kolmani Integrated Development Project, which President Muhammadu Buhari launched in November 2022.

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