President Buhari Orders NNPC To Find Oil In Northern Nigeria

President Muhammadu Buhari has ordered the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) to intensify oil search in the north-east of Nigeria.

The Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Dr. Maikanti Baru disclosed that the corporation will be escalating exploration activities in the Chad Basin and around Komani River in Bauchi State.

Baru revealed this in Abuja yesterday when he received the Governor of Bauchi State, Barrister Mohammed Abubakar, said NNPC would be working to improve on the findings of oil giant Shell in the area.

While soliciting the support of the state governor to secure pipelines in the state, he assured him that NNPC would work hard to ensure that it meets obligations to the Federation Accounts Allocation Committee on time.

He said: “My team members are all seasoned and they have heard your plea for support for me to deliver in these turbulent waters and definitely they will support me.

“We are committed to collaborate with you and the other state governors to drive all the initiatives that will fulfill the national aspirations as expected from my industry especially energy security.

“Your Excellency, though it is a very difficult time for us, with all the challenges of the leakages that we suffer from infractions of our infrastructure, in terms of pipeline vandalism and theft to be able to meet obligations.

“We will continue to meet these obligations timely and effectively as much as possible. Sir, you know very close home, we have exploration activities on the frontier basin and in the Chad. Also there are some areas close to the Komani River where Shell has made some indicative discoveries of hydro carbon and Mr. President has directed me to go into that area and explore the magnitudes and prospect of those finds”.

He explained that NNPC is “steps to re-strategise and get into those regions, upgrade the frontier exploration to see how they can collaborate with SPDC that is holding block 8 or 9 where some of the finds have been found and also DPR for the other blocks that have not been assigned and work towards improving the prospect of that region”.

Speaking on petroleum products distribution in country, the Baru who hails from Bauchi State said “NNPC is committed to providing adequate petroleum products to all nooks and corners of the country. Since June this year, NNPC has supplied average of 28 trucks daily to Bauchi State which exceeds the 15- truck requirement for the state and we will continue to keep the state wet”.

He therefore asked for the governor’s support in securing NNPC pipelines in the state from Jos through Bauchi State to Gombe, Maiduguri and Yola.

Earlier, Governor Abubakar said the visit was to felicitate with Baru on his recent appointment as head of the national oil company. He said Baru has come into his new position a rich curriculum vitae and expressed confidence that he would succeed in his new assignment.