The Nigerian government has announced that the crude oil exploration in the Lake Chad Basin will resume soon.
The oil exploration in the area was suspended by the Nigerian Government in July 2017 after suspected members of Boko Haram sect attacked a team of geological engineers from the University of Maiduguri who were engaged by Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) to carry out a survey of the Lake Chad region in Borno State towards the commencement of oil exploration.
Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Chief Timipre Sylva, disclosed the development yesterday after meeting with the Chief of Army Staff, Lt-Gen. Tukur Buratai and the Commander of the Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF), Maj-Gen. Ibrahim Yusuf, at the Maimalari Cantonment in Maiduguri, saying the area is now peaceful enough to commence the oil exploration.
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Sylvia said “the relative peace in Borno State and the Lake Chad basin informed the decision to move in for exploration and drilling activities in the oil rich region.”
“The NNPC has seen a lot of prospects in Chad Basin to commence exploration and drilling activities. That is why the corporation is collaborating with the army to resume oil explorations.”
The collaboration is to ensure that security is being provided for oil exploration and drilling activities to commence very soon in the basin.
“As you may know, we have found crude oil in Gombe State, and we believe that there is a lot of oil to be found in the Lake Chad Basin. We have seen a lot of prospects in the Chad Basin, and we want to commence exploration and drilling activities there, and that is why we are collaborating with the Nigerian army to ensure that security is provided for activities to commence very soon, Sylva said.”
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The minister commended the sacrifice and gallantry of the Nigerian army in the fight against insurgency in the North-east region.
The Minister of State for Petroleum was accompanied on the visit by the Group Managing Director of NNPC, Alhaji Mele Kyari; Group General Manager Frontier Exploration Services, Abdullahi Bomai among other officers.