From Timothy Olanrewaju, Maiduguri
President Muhammadu Buhari has flagged off crude oil drilling campaign in Borno State to commence prospecting of the mineral resource in the area.
“This oil expiration, if successful, will increase economic growth and development t of the state and North East,” the president said.
Governor Babagana Zulum said his administration would do everything possible to support the staff and management of Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) to actualise the availability of crude oil in the area.
He commended the president for improving the security situation in the state and North East.
NNPC Chief Executive Officer, Mele Kyari, expressed the hope that the drilling exercise will bring prosperity to the people.
He said the NNPC stopped drilling in Wadi-B in 1995 because successes were weak while findings also showed the oil found then were not in commercial quantity.
“The fresh drilling is part of the scramble for oil and gas deposits in Nigeria’s frontier basins,” Kyari said.
Explaining further, he said the corporation believe it ought to understand the basin very well to ensure success of the exercise.
“Now, we are much more confident, we believe this campaign will be successful and that this campaign will take us to the ultimate objective which is to increase the reserves of our country and also create opportunities around us. We believe the time for oil and gas to vanish is still far away,” he said.
According to NNPC, the wells have total depth of 14,000 feet.
The corporation said geologists have seen many potential reservoirs and the company set to prove that the hydrocarbon there could be oil, gas or both.