*ON THE NEWS:*
*NNPC resumes oil drilling campaign in Borno State.*

*… As NNPC Chairman promised realisation of the project.*

By Paschal Candle.
24th May, 2023.

The Chairman, Board of Directors of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited, Senator Mrs Margery Chuba Okadigbo, yesterday Joined President Muhammadu Buhari, NNPC Group Managing Director and Top Leadership of the Corporation to attend the flag off of the resumption of Oil exploration In Wadi-B oil well drilling in Tuba community, Jere Local Government Area of Borno State. President Muhammadu Buhari joined the ceremony virtually and gave Federal Government assurance and commitment to the project.

In her Goodwill Message at the event in Borno State, NNPC Board Chairman expressed her expectation that the national oil company under her Chairmanship would transform into an efficient company that delivers values to Nigeria. She promised to give all the necessary support in realisation of this project. According to Her, The new drilling is part of the prospects for oil and gas deposits in Nigeria’s frontier basins.

Explaining 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.

He said, “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.”

Also speaking, the ED, 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.”

Speaking at the event, Mele Kyari, group chief executive officer (GCEO), NNPC Limited, said the re-mobilization of a drilling rig to the Chad Basin “for the first time since 1995, has indeed brought up a new situation for us.”

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“We stopped drilling here in 1995 because the successes were weak because our findings were not commercial and 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 basin,” he said.

“That is why NNPC and our partner, the ministry of petroleum resources and the current NMDPRA, decided to embark on a massive evaluation of all the frontier basins in the country. And of course, our findings have been useful.

“Our understanding of the rift system in Nigeria enables us to have successful outcome in the Kolmani area. It also enabled us to mobilise to Nasarawa state; a drilling activity and an engagement is ongoing.

“It also helped us to understand the geological setting of the Chad Basin which is why we are back here.

Also speaking, Babagana Zulum, governor of Borno, said the commencement of oil drilling in the region is a right step in creating more job opportunities in the state.

“Oil prospecting, possible discovery and exploration in this part of the country will no doubt create job opportunities to thousands of our youths thereby reducing unemployment in our state, which in turn results in reduction in the insurgency, stimulating economic growth and development of our dear state and nation in general,” he said.

After over two decades, the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC) has resumed an oil drilling campaign at the Wadi-B well located in Jere LGA of Borno State.

The landmark event marked the commencement of oil exploration in the Lake Chad Basin, in the Tuba community of the state, since 1995.

Photos Speak:
(c) Paschal Candle.

So bubu still remember the late cerebral senate president Chuba Ikadigbo to the extent of rewarding his widow with a very juicy position? Hmmm!! Very impressive