TheCable

The Nigeria National Petroleum Cooperation (NNPC) says it has started the process that would lead to the exploration of oil and gas in Sokoto basin.

Maikanti Baru, NNPC group managing director, said this when he received Aminu Tambuwal, governor of Sokoto state, at the NNPC Towers in Abuja.

Baru said the contract for the geological mapping of the basin had been awarded.

“We have been on the issue of exploration in the frontier basins and so far some measures have been taken. We have already purchased aeromagnetic data and it’s being interpreted to determine the sedimentary thickness and the basin configuration,” Imam Imam, Tambuwal’s spokesman, quoted Baru as saying.

“Secondly, we have awarded a contract for the geological mapping of the basin and I am happy to state here that samples have been collected, mapped, analysed and geological modeling executed so as to ensure data integration.”

Baru also said talks were ongoing for the award of contract for surface geochemistry, ground gravity and magnetics at the basin.

He said such actions were necessary to integrate all dates for understanding of petroleum systems of the basins and also to determine if hydrocarbon was generated in the basins.

Baru said the corporation would also carry out a high-resolution regional 2D seismic data acquisition to identify leads and prospects.

“After all these are carried out, we will then begin to drill for oil and gas in the basin,” he added.

Tambuwal disclosed the plan of the state government to organise a national conference on the Sokoto basin.

“We are inviting you and the NNPC to take part in this important conference because we believe it will add value in our search for hydrocarbon in the Sokoto basin,” he said.

Boko Haram insurgents had attacked oil experts who were on exploration mission in Borno state. NNPC and the University of Maiduguri lost some of their staff in the attack.