NNPC begins oil exploration in Benue

The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), has officially commenced oil exploration in Benue State with the mobilization of its data services department to acquire seismic data.

Group Managing Director of the NNPC, Maikanti Baru, who paid an official visit to the state on Tuesday, June 25, 2019, said the seismic data collection would commence from Ondori Main Camp at the boundary between Benue and Nasarawa States and cut across Makurdi, Guma, Gwer-East, Gwer-West and Logo local government areas.

Baru said the seismic data acquisition was based on the encouraging results of the previous studies carried out in the Benue Trough by the corporation in the areas of geological studies and basin modelling, aeromagnetic ground gravity and surface geochemistry survey.

In 2015, President Muhammadu Buhari had directed NNPC to resume oil exploration activities in some of the nation’s inland basins including Chad Basin and the Benue Trough.

Baru expressed optimism that the success of the results from seismic data acquisition would lead to the drilling of exploration wells and launch Benue state into the league of oil producing states in the country.

Biofuel project

On the Biofuel project, Baru said it would attract benefits like the creation of one million direct and indirect jobs, 20,000 hectares of sugarcane feedstock plantation, Cane Mill and Raw/Refined Sugar Plant which would produce 126,000 tons per year and Fuel-Ethanol Processing Plant which would produce 84 million liters every year.

He equally stated that the Biofuel Project component of Bagasse Cogeneration Power Plant would have a capacity of 64 megawatts while Carbon Dioxide Recovery and Bottling Plant would produce 2,000 tons per year.

According to him, animal feeds worth 63,000 tons would be produced annually.

Responding, Governor Samuel Ortom said Benue people would be excited to have such projects come to fruition, stressing that the state and country stand to reap numerous economic benefits from the development.

He appreciated President Buhari and the management of NNPC for the projects, describing oil as key to the economy of the country.

Ortom announced the constitution of a Government Committee headed by his Deputy, Engineer Benson Abounu with membership drawn from top government functionaries to ensure that the projects come to fruition.