LIVE UPDATES
The finding and drilling of oil in Nasarawa State, according to President Muhammadu Buhari, will increase Nigeria's overall energy security and bring about more prosperity for its citizens.
The President stated that the local communities in the area will notably profit from the value produced by the exploration and eventual production activities in his virtual message to the official spud-in of the Ebenyi-A Well located in the Middle Benue Trough, in Obi Local Government of Nasarawa State.
Femi Adesina, the President's special assistant for media and publicity, gave instructions to NNPC Limited and its partners to take proper care of the environmental repercussions of oil exploration activities and offset the adverse effects.
He expressed gratitude to the government and residents of Nasarawa State, the host community, for their unwavering support and assistance in making this exploration campaign successful.
The President reminded that ongoing efforts to explore gas and crude oil in the nation's frontier basins are in line with the official start of drilling activities in the Middle Benue Trough.
He named the regions where NNPC is expanding its crude oil exploration as the Chad Basin, Dahomey Basin, Anambra Platform, the Calabar Embankment, Sokoto Basin, Bida Basin, Benue Trough, and the Ultra-Deepwater Niger Delta.
This makes sense given the recent commercial hydrocarbon discoveries in the Kolmani Area of the Upper Benue Trough.
"I am happy to note that efforts are still being made to bring the Kolmani petroleum discoveries into commercial usage in order to increase the sizeable hydrocarbon assets of the country.
"The significant effort made by NNPC Limited to take advantage of the opportunities in the Middle Benue Trough, which led to today's event, gives me hope.
He instructed Nasarawa State Governor Abdullahi Sule and Group CEO of NNPC Limited, Mele Kyari, to speak on his behalf, saying, "I congratulate NNPC Limited, the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission and other partners for their immense contributions towards making this day and this event possible."
