The Nigeria National Petroleum Cooperation (NNPC) has began the process that will lead to the exploration of oil and gas in the Sokoto basin, Governor Aminu Tambuwal’s spokesman Imam Imam has said.

A statement issued in Sokoto by Imam Imam said NNPC’s Group Managing Director, Maikanti Kachalla Baro, stated this when the state Governor Aminu Tambuwal paid a working visit to the NNPC Towers in Abuja.

It quoted Baro as saying: “We have been on the issue of exploration in the frontier basins and so far some measures of stpes have been taken. We have already purchased aeromagnetic data and its being interpreted to determine the sedimentary thickness and the basin configuration.”

Baro added: “Secondly, we have awarded a contract for the geological mapping of the basin and I am happy to state here that outcop samples have been collected, mapped, analysed and geological modeling executed so as to ensure data integration.”

According to him, discussions were ongoing with Integrated Data Services Limited (IDSL) to award contract for surface geochemistry, ground gravity and magnetics, adding that it was necessary to determine if hydrocarbon was generated in the basins and importantly, to integrate all date for understanding of petroleum systems of the basins.

He disclosed that the NNPC would also carry out high resolution regional 2D seismic data acquisition to identify leads and prospects, after which a 3D seismic data acquisition would be carried out over leads and prospects.

He said after all these had been carried out, they would then begin to drill for oil and gas in the basin.

According to the statement, Governor Tambuwal earlier revealed that various studies had been carried out by the government on the Sokoto Basins.

Tambuwal said the result would be made available to the NNPC to aid its efforts.

He said: “Historical records indicated that the presence of hydrocarbon in the Sokoto Basin has been a subject of interest to geologists for long, a situation that made Italian oil giants, Elf, to consider preliminary exploration activities beginning from the 50s.”

Tambuwal stated that the State Government, in collaboration with the Usman Danfodio University, would organise a national conference on the Sokoto Basin in October, expressing optimism that it add value in the search for hydrocarbon in the Sokoto Basin. (Daily Trust)

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