The Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Dr Maikanti Baru on Thursday announced that oil search would soon begin in the nation’s inland basins.

Baru made the revelation in a statement by Mr Ndu Ughamadu, NNPC Group Public Affairs Manager, in Abuja.

He said the exercise was in fulfilment of the Presidential mandate which directed NNPC to resume oil exploration activities in some of the nation’s inland basins, including the Chad Basin and the Benue Trough.

He said the Presidential mandate was driven by the urgent need for the nation to increase its oil and gas reserves, to improve revenue streams and create more business and employment opportunities for Nigerians.

Baru also said the move was in line with NNPC’s corporate vision of 12 Business Focus Areas (12 BUFA).

He said the NNPC team was in Nasarawa State to sensitise the government and people of the state to the mission.

”I am therefore happy to be personally here to kick-start the beginning of a high-profile stakeholder engagement towards oil exploration in the Nasarawa State’s part of the Benue Trough,” he said.

Baru assured that as a responsible corporate organisation, NNPC, through its Frontier Exploration Services (FES), would do everything possible to operate peacefully among the people and with much respect to the environment.

“Already, FES had mobilised the Integrated Data Services Limited (IDSL), an Upstream arm of the NNPC, to acquire seismic data in the Benue Trough commencing from the Keana area.

“I am convinced that the success of the results from IDSL’s seismic data acquisition will lead to the drilling of exploration wells in the area.

“This, hopefully, would launch Nasarawa State into the league of oil producing states in the country,” Baru said.

He assured that state's indigenes would enjoy more products availability once the corporation rehabilitated the Makurdi Depot pipeline feeding Nasarawa and Benue States with products.

“We have resuscitated Mosimi, Ibadan, Kano and Aba depots.

“Once we are done with Aba-Enugu line, we are heading towards Makurdi Depot,” Baru added. (NAN)

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