The quest of Ogun State to be an oil producing State would soon materialise as the Nigerian National Petroleum Company 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, were in Ogun State on Friday, 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.
According to a statement, 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 underscore the seriousness the federal government attaches to the exploration activities that we want to carry out in Ogun State.”
Lokpobiri, who added that oil and gas remain the quickest way to Nigeria’s economic prosperity, said his team is 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 this exploration activities in several places across Nigeria and today we are in Ogun after which we will proceed to Sokoto State,” he added.
Kyari, while speaking, said Ogun State was 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, 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 enhanced federation revenue.
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