The Nigeria National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) will begin drilling of the first oil well in Obi/Keana, Nasarawa State on March 21, 2023.
The NNPCL Group Chief Executive Officer, Mele Kyari, made the disclosure when he led the management of the company on a courtesy visit to Nasarawa State Governor, Abdullahi Sule, in Lafia, the state capital on Thursday.
Kyari said the NNPCL has begun exploration activities in Nasarawa State in 2010 and has technically found a petroleum environment in the state.
“We have seen a great potential for finding hydrocarbon in Nasarawa State and to confirm this, we are going to start drilling on March 21.
“We are very optimistic that it would be a successful exercise. It will not end there, once you find oil, you do further works to develop it not just for the benefit of the community around it but for Nasarawa State and the Country,” he said.
Kyari stated that the exploration would not be limited to the current Obi/Keana location.
READ ALSO: NNPC begins oil exploration in Nasarawa March
“Once we test this prospect, it opens new roads and we have seen other great prospects across many parts of the State. This will herald history and bring value to all of us,” the NNPCL boss added.
Kyari, however, thanked the government and people of Nasarawa State for the cooperation and support so far and called for its sustenance.
“Peace and cooperation is essential in oil exploration and we have seen enormous cooperation in this respect – we have seen no danger, no risk to our operation from all stakeholders in our area of operation and we thank them for that,” he said.
Kyari added that the NNPCL would continue to do its best to bring immediate value to the host community and ultimately to the wider society when oil is found in commercial quantity.
Speaking, Governor Sule thanked Kyari and his team for the visit and for what they were doing in the state.
He also appreciated the people in the area for their support so far, urging them to sustain the peace in the area and across the state.
Sule identified insecurity as a major challenge to oil exploration in the country, calling on the people of the state to ensure they maintain peace and support the company for the project to succeed.
He expressed optimism that the drilling of the oil well, named ‘Ebenyi-A’ would be the first in the North Central region of the country and would bring lots of benefits to Nasarawa State.
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