NNPC shifts focus to Lower Benue trough

The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) will focus on the Lower Benue trough while waiting for the situation in the Chad Basin area to normalise, group managing director Maikanti Baru announced Tuesday.

“While waiting for normalcy to return to the Chad Basin, we have stepped up efforts in the Lower Benue trough. So far, we have acquired 20 kilometres of 2D data out of the planned 455 kilometres 2D seismic data,” Baru said in a statement.

In July 2017, at least 30 people were killed in the kidnapping and subsequent rescue attempt of oil survey workers in the Chad Basin area by suspected Boko Haram militants.

“I pledge on behalf of the NNPC that their sacrifice shall not be in vain. There is no better way to honour the efforts of our gallant heroes than to continue the good work they died for,” Baru said. The NNPC eventually plans to drill four wells in the Chad Basin and has acquired 1,961 square kilometres of 3D seismic data out of 3,550 square kilometres planned.

Four wells are also planned for 2018 on the Gongola Basin to test prospects identified around Kolmani River-1, Nasara-1 and Kuzari-1.