Gaidam urges NNPC to begin oil search in Yobe

By Musa M. Buba

Damaturu

Yobe state Governor, Alhaji Ibrahim Gaidam, has called on the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) to begin oil prospecting in the Yobe sector of the Lake Chad Basin.
The governor said that ‘structural and geologic similarities’ between Yobe and neighbouring Niger and Chad Republics, where oil has been found in commercial quantities in their sectors of the Lake Chad Basin, might point to availability of hydrocarbon deposits in the state.
Gaidam spoke yesterday during a visit to the Group Managing Director of the (NNPC), Dr. Maikanti Kachallah Baru, at the Corporation headquarters in Abuja.
“The GMD may note that our request for the exploration of oil in the Yobe sector of the Chad Basin is informed by the discovery of crude oil in neighbouring Chad and Niger Republics. The parts of these neighbouring countries where oil discoveries were made have been ascertained to have common structural features with the Chad Basin part of the North east, especially Borno and Yobe states”, he said.
Gaidam added: “It is in view of this that I appeal to the federal government through the Group Managing Director, NNPC to commence the exploration of oil and gas in the Chad Basin section of Yobe state as early as possible.
The governor said he was aware that security concerns constituted a major hindrance to exploration activity in the region, reiterating, however, that with the peaceful atmosphere prevalent in the state presently, “Yobe is ripe for exploration activities to start.”
He said: “The reforms you introduced since your assumption of office have created unprecedented developments in the oil and gas industry. They have checked the problem of incessant scarcity of petroleum products, increased the revenue accruable from the oil and gas sector and led to substantial increases in the contributions of the Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG) plants to the national economy.”
Gaidam assured the NNPC GMD that state government will “support, cooperate and collaborate with the NNPC” for the success of oil exploration activities in the state.

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