Nigeria’s state-owned NNPC Ltd on Tuesday started drilling for oil and gas at a field in northern Nigeria that has reserves of 1 billion barrels, as the country seeks to produce crude outside the Niger Delta for the first time.
The landmark occasion witnessed by Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari took place at the Kolmani field, located in Gombe and Bauchi states and with estimated reserves of over 1 billion barrels of crude, to inaugurate the drilling site.
“The successful discovery of the Kolmani Oil and Gas field by NNPC [Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited] and her partners has finally broken the jinx” after long efforts to find commercial oil and gas outside the established Niger Delta Basin, Buhari said in his remarks.
In addition to drilling, the project — which has attracted $3 billion in investment — aims to open an oil refinery, a gas processing unit, a power plant and a fertilizer factory, according to the presidential statement.
Buhari in his remarks also urged the oil company and partners “to ensure all lessons learnt from our years of experience as an oil-producing nation are utilized to ensure harmonious relationship with the local communities.”
