The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC), has announced that from Tuesday, March 21, 2023, it will commence the drilling of crude oil in Nasarawa State.
The Group Managing Director (GMD) of NNPC, Mallam Mele Kyari, made this disclosure during his visit to the Governor of Nasarawa, Abdullahi Sule, in Lafia, the state capital.
According to Kyari, initial exploratory activities detected that there was a significant amount of oil in the state, noting that the NNPC was ready to do the necessary work to find the hydrocarbon resources.
“This work must be done very fast because the whole world is walking away from fossil fuels due to the energy transition. The earlier you go to market, the better for you. Otherwise, 10 years from now, no one will agree to put money in the petroleum business unless it comes from your cash flow,” he stated.
He said that the company began work in the 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 pointed out that the exploration would not be limited to the current location in Obi/Keana location.
“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,” he added.
