Ogun to join oil producing states as exploration commences

The quest of Ogun State to be an oil producing State would soon materialise as the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Limited (NNPCL), is set 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 yesterday spokes 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, reports The Nation.

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

The Minister said: “We decided that we are going to resume exploration in the different Basins; we decided to come to Ogun State to reassure the people that we have very high potential of discoveries here. Ogun has always been part of the Dahomey Basin and our presence underscores the seriousness the federal government attaches to the exploration activities that we want to carry out in Ogun State.”

Hon. Lokpobiri, who added that oil and gas remain the quickest way to Nigeria’s economic prosperity, said his team was 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.

“Today we are here to tell the people of the federal government’s commitment to ensuring that we continue our campaign and exploration activities across the country. We are doing these exploration activities in several places across Nigeria and today we are in Ogun after which we will proceed to Sokoto State,” he added.

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 earnest to commence exploration activities, even as he expressed the hope that oil would be found in commercial quantity.

In his remarks, the Executive Director, Nigerians Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission, Mr. Genga Komolafe, said the coming of the team to Ogun State was to further demonstrate the commitment of the Federal Government to grow the oil reserves and enhance federation revenue.

“We all understand that Nigeria is very prolific in oil and gas, but then there is still a need to grow the reserves through exploration activities given our huge hyrdro-carbon as a benchmark,” he noted.

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.