National Telescope national telescope newspaper
Ogun State is set to become an oil-producing state following plans by the Federal Government throught the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Limited to commence oil and gas exploration in the State.
This is as stakeholders in the oil industries including the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Oil), Heineken Lokpobiri stormed the state on Friday.
In the entourage of the minister were: 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.
They were received by the state Governor, Dapo Abiodun and his Deputy, Noimot Salako-Oyedele at the governor’s office, Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta said Ogun State.
In his address, the Minister said his team was in the State in continuation of the campaign for exploration activities. Adding that, 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.
He also said there was a prospect of discoveries that included huge deposits of hydro-carbon in the state.
The NNPCL Group Managing Director said Ogun State is blessed to be in the Dahomey Basin corridor with an expected high deposit of oil.
He assured 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 of NUPRC, said the Federal Government is committed to growing the oil reserves and enhanced federation revenue.
He said, “We all understand that Nigeria is very prolific in oil and gas, but then there is still need to grow the reserves through exploration activities given our huge hyrdro-carbon as a bench mark.
“The Dahomey Basin stretches up to Delta, Edo, Ogun and Ondo states. We intend to in the course of this exercise, cover all those states leveraging on the provision of Section 9, Subsection 4 of the PIA.
“This is good opportunity for the people of Ogun State and it would be complementary to the reforms and transformation initiatives of the governor. We want to congratulate the governor and the people for being the beneficiaries of this initiative,” Komolafe said.
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.
“It is noteworthy that this is a region of the country that provides ease of access, low entry and operating costs, a safe and welcoming community and a very active state government support and participation.
“Ogun State therefore presents some unique opportunities towards the realization of the full intentions of the PIA section 9 on frontier exploration as it will contribute to guarantee additional petroleum production of additional petroleum products for the country and afford more supply to potential refineries in the area.”
