The state governments in the northern part of Nigeria have appointed a British firm to carry out exploration activities in the area, as a way of deepening their search for oil and gas in the region.This new development is coming two weeks after President Muhammadu Buhari directed the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) to intensify the search for crude oil in the North-East.

According to the Chairman of the Northern Nigeria Development Company (NNDC), Bashir Dalhatu, the prospects for oil and gas in the Lake Chad and Benue basins has commenced, by the anonymous British company.“We have engaged a British company that is already working in the Lake Chad region and from Niger and Chad side in the same area with us and we have been meeting with the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation in order to put efforts together. The Federal Government has also re-emphasized to us, during those meetings, its total support for exploration and exploitation of oil and gas in the North-East of the country,” he told Punch news.

The Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Emmanuel Kachikwu (photo), had before now said that the Federal Government would commence oil drilling operations in the Chad Basin starting from Q3 of 2016.He added that the vow by the government and NNPC to explore oil and gas in the inland basins, particularly Chad Basin and the Benue Trough, is still firm.

Kachikwu stated that eight phases out of the intended 12-phase project to cover 3,550 km² had been obtained.“A total of 1,962 km² have been acquired and processed, interpretation is currently ongoing at about 90% completion, and drilling activities will commence by the last quarter of 2016,” Kachikwu said.

Meanwhile, the Group Managing Director of NNPC, Maikanti Baru, has confirmed that exploration activities were ongoing in the frontier basin in Chad and in some areas close to the Kolmani River, in Bauchi State.“We will reinvigorate the frontier exploration services and see how they collaborate with the Northern Nigeria Development Company. The NNDC is holding bloc 809 where we have some of the finds and the Department for Petroleum Resources, for the other blocs that have not been assigned,” he added.

Anita Fatunji