NNPC fixes March 21 to commence oil drilling in Nasarawa

By Innocent Obasi

The Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Ltd will commence the drilling of crude oil in Nasarawa State from 21st of March 2023.

NNPC  made this disclosure in a statement released by Mele Kyari, the group CEO of the company, while meeting with Governor Abdullahi Sule, in Lafia, the state capital.

Kyari said that exploration is usually a time-consuming task that entails obtaining data and conducting tests. He noted the fact that NNPC Ltd has created a petroleum environment technically.

“We have seen a great potential for finding hydrocarbons in Nasarawa State. To confirm this, we are going to start drilling on the 21st of March, 2023. We are very optimistic that it will be a successful exercise.

“It will not end there, once we find oil we will do further work, we will develop it and everybody will benefit from it, not just the communities around it but also the whole of Nasarawa state and the whole of the country,” he said.

According to him, exploratory activities showed that the state has a significant amount of oil, and the company was prepared to put in the necessary effort to locate the hydrocarbon resources there.

Kyari, however, stated that the work must be done very fast because the whole world is gradually moving 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 pointed out.

He also expressed gratitude to the Nasarawa state government and people for their cooperation and support so far and called for its sustenance.