The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) on Tuesday blamed security challenges for the non-commencement of oil exploration in the Chad Basin.
The General Manager, Frontier Exploration Services of NNPC, Dr. Mazadu Bako, stated this at the 50th anniversary celebration of Geology Department, Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria.
The Golden Jubilee was marked in honour of the pioneer Head of the Geology Department, late Dr. John B. Wright, who was given a posthumous award.
He said: โIf the security situation was not the way it is by today, our locations for drilling would have been ongoing in construction.
Represented by the Deputy Manager, Benue Trough Operations at NNPC, Alex Tarka, Bako said the Department of Geology in ABU has produced Geo scientists whom had contributed immensely to the Nigeriaโs extractive industry.
โLet us take a quick look at NNPC exploration efforts in some inland basins in Nigeria, starting with the Chad basin. Between 1976 and 1996 a total of 33, 000 kilometers of 2D seismic data were acquired, processed and interpreted, which led to the drilling of 3wells in the Chad basin.
โI have the honor to let my department know that as 1992, I was one of the geologists in one of the wells. Only two out of the 21 wells, the Uwadi and Kinasa recorded non- commercial gas while the other 21 were driven from 2008 to 2017. Just last year, a total of 1,962.20 square kilometers of 3D seismic data were acquired, processed and interpreted and prospects have been identified. Plans to commence drilling of the matured prospects have commenced,โ the NNPC official added.
