The Minister of Petroleum (State) and Group Managing Director of the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) Dr. Ibe Kachikwu on Monday stated that Nigeria has discovered crude oil in Maiduguri and operations will begin in the last quarter of this year.
His words:
“A total of 1, 962 sq. km was acquired and processed, interpretation is on at 90 per cent completion, and drilling activities will commence by the last quarter of 2016. The decision to diversify our business portfolio is about all of us and about the future of our country, the vision is clear, and we are determined not to fail”
Kachikwu expounded on interpretations of seismic activities around the Chad basin and Benue Trough. The exploration is handled by Integrated Data Services Limited (NNPC subsidiary) and BGP, a subsidiary of China National Petroleum Corporation.
Senator Shehu Sani, Chairman, Senate Committee on foreign and domestic debts had described as waste of resources and time for the Buhari’s administration to continue oil exploration in the North.
Vanguard quoted him as having said:
“Oil exploration in the north has been carried out back to days far beyond that of former President Jonathan Goodluck. I am calling on President Muhammadu Buhari to order a probe into this questionable search for oil. Past leaders have amassed wealth through this venture, and I want the president to investigate this.
“If we cannot fine oil, we must get our money back because so far over $3 billion US Dollars had been wasted on oil exploration in the north, particularly in the Chad Basin and Benue trough.
“This oil exploration issue started from late General Sani Abacha regime, and many years after his death, no oil is found in the region. “I blame our northern leaders who in collaboration with their southern counterparts improvised the north through phony schemes like this.
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