Buhari Flags Off NNPC Wadi-B Oil Drilling In Borno

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*NNPCL GMD says new approach to drilling required

By; SADIQ ABUBAKAR, Maiduguri

President Muhammadu Buhari  has finally yesterday,  flagged off crude oil drilling campaign at Wadi-B l Tuba Village, 35 kilometers away from Maiduguri City,  off  Monguno Road  in  Borno State  which was prospected  in 2017,  but work on site was suspended due to Boko Haram insurgency and it’s attendant security  threats.

He also said that the oil exploration if successful, will improve security,, electricity energy and prosper socio economic growth and development of the state in addition to other opportunities in addressing unemployment and low economic growth and development.

President  Buhari who made his speech  virtually,  appreciated the people and government of Borno State, while commending the traditional institution   for their roles and the Nigerian military  for restoring peace in the state and region at large.

Buhari further commended the management and board of the NNPC and the Upstream Service Limited, for the evaluation and campaign

Governor Babagana Umara Zulum of Borno State while flagging off the oil exploration project on behalf of President Muhammadu Buhari, said that his administration will do everything possible to support the staff and management of NNPC to actualize the availability of crude  oil in the state and Lake Chad Basin.

Zulum further assured of his government’s full support at all times, towards realization of the prospective  crude oil, while commending the Nigerian military for their efforts and support  in protecting lives and property of the citizens, while restoring peace in the state against the insurgency.

He also appreciated the support and concern of President Buhari towards  the people and government of Borno in terms of material and non material items distribution of  food, funds and security  to the state.

The governor also recognized the support and role of the traditional council in the restoration of peace process, development and progress of the state in synergy with the government  policies, projects and programmes.

The Chairman,  NNPC Governing Board, Senator  Margery Chubo  Okadigbo assured the people and government of Borno State of the  corporation’s readiness and willingness to realize the oil exploration prospect,  while thanking President Buhari  for his support and approval for the return of oil exploration to the Lake Chad Basin.

She also pledged that the corporation will continue to explore other areas and states to boost   oil and gas prospects drilling in the interest of  national development and growth.

The Group Chief Executive Officer  NNPCL, Mele Kyari  in his remarks, said  that the company is optimistic that the drilling exercise would help in its efforts to bring prosperity to the people through the elimination of energy poverty which is threatening Africa’s biggest economy.

According to him, the NNPC had stopped drilling in Wadi-B in 1995 because successes were weak and findings made during the period were not in commercial quantity.

Kyari said, “We understood very clearly that we need to understand the basin very well. We need to have a different approach to exploration activities in this very basin and that is why NNPC and our partners, the Ministry of Petroleum Resources and the current Upstream Regulatory Commission decided to embark on massive revaluation of all the frontier basins in the country.

“Now we are much more confident, we believe that this campaign will be successful and that this campaign will take us to the ultimate objective which is to increase the reserves of our country and also create opportunities around us. We believe that the time for oil and gas to vanish is still far away.

“We believe that oil and gas will continue to be principal in determination of the prosperity of our country of course more especially, providing energy security for our country. And this can’t happen unless we have access to the resources and we are able to convert them into value and of course a new approach to doing this that is practical which is what we are doing in the Kolmani area.”

According to the Nigeria National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), the Wells have total depth of 14,000 feet, while the  NNPC Enserv also said geologists have seen many potential reservoirs and the company is set to prove that the hydrocarbon there could be oil, gas or both as Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC) has resumed oil exploration in the Lake Chad Basin in Borno state before the corporation  stopped the process.

The  Executive Director, Frontier Exploration Services at NNPC, Mukhtar Zanna, said NNPC using ACME Rig 5 will be drilling 14,000 feet into the Wadi-B well to get oil and associated gas.

 “We are optimistic because we have read the data, also we have new technology. Following the demographic data, we added new emerging technology and deployed, including assessment detection, magnetic technique.” while the EDzf, Exploration Services at NNPC, Aminu Maitama, was hopeful of an oil find, saying,

“So, we believe in this location, we are going to report oil and gas in commercial quantities.” Zanna said.

According to officials of the NNPC Energy Service Ltd (ENSERV), the project is being done under NNPC Frontier Exploration Service for the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission, NUPRC, nothing  that, , exploration  had earlier commenced in 1976 and continued until 1996 with the processing of 33,000km of 2D Seismic data which identified three prospective sub-basins (Gubio, Maiduguri & Baga/Lake Area).

Between 2008 and 2018, NNPC processed 1,962.20km2 of 3D Seismic data; in 2014, it suspended the Seismic Acquisition Operations due to insurgency. NNPC in July 2017 also announced the halt of the exploration activities after some workers recorded insurgency attacks

The fresh drilling is part of the scramble for oil and gas deposits in Nigeria’s frontier basins.

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