In a bid to eliminate energy poverty in Nigeria, the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Ltd (NNPC) has resumed its oil drilling campaign in the Wadi-B area of Jere Local Government in Borno State. The NNPC resumed drilling in Wadi-B after it stopped drilling in 1995 due to weak results and unsatisfactory commercial quantities.
According to Mele Kyari, the Group Chief Executive Officer of NNPC, the company is committed to bringing prosperity to Nigerians through the exploration of oil and gas in the country. Kyari made this commitment at the Presidential flag-off of Wadi-B drilling campaign by President Muhammadu Buhari.
Recent revaluations of frontier basins in Nigeria by NNPC, the Ministry of Petroleum Resources and the current Upstream Regulatory Commission has seen successes in the Kolmani Area and Nasarawa State. The exploration of the Chad Basin is also underway.
“We believe that the time for oil and gas to vanish is still far away,” said Kyari, stating that drilling in Borno could help mitigate the deforestation caused by the widespread felling of trees for use as cooking fuel, which is currently the only option for many Nigerians due to the lack of access to clean cooking fuel.
Kyari went on to highlight the NNPC’s planned deployment of technology and best practices that would allow the company to quickly create value for Nigerians. “Wherever we find crude oil, we will consider the concept of integrated production and conversion so that value can be created very quickly,” he said.
It is hoped that the drilling exercise will help the NNPC increase the reserves of the country as well as create new opportunities for Nigerians.
