NNPC begins oil exploration in Bauchi

The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation and a Chinese company, Bureau for Geophysical Corporation, have begun mobilising to Alkakeri, Darazo, Misau in Bauchi State to commence the drilling of oil wells in the coming months.
The exploration is expected to bring employment and other economic opportunities to the state.
The Group Managing Director of the NNPC, Dr. Maikanti Baru, disclosed this when he led top management staff on a courtesy visit to the Bauchi State Governor.
He said, “NNPC’s renewed commitment for further exploration in the Gongola Basin is informed by directives to NNPC by President Muhammdu Buhari to resume oil exploration activities in Gongola and Chad Basins following successful commercial discoveries of oil and gas in neighbouring Niger, Chad and Central African Republic in their portion of the Chad Basin.”
The NNPC boss recalled that exploration activities in the Chad Basin began in 1974, continued in 1996 to 2000 when gas was discovered in non-commercial quantity, but later resumed in 2014, but stopped due to insecurity in the North-East.
“Based on a recent survey by a subsidiary of NNPC, the Integrated Data Service Limited, and with the acquisition of state of the art technology in present data acquisition, we are confident that these efforts will lead to clearer definition if prospectivity in the region,” he stated.
Responding, the Bauchi State Governor, Mohammed Abubakar, promised that the state government would provide security for the NNPC and other companies’ staffers that would be in the state for oil exploration.
He said that the state government would  also provide office and residential accommodation during the exploration exercise, and enlighten Bauchi citizens on the explorers’ equipment and vehicular movement, so as not to  create panic.