Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Chief Timiprye Sylva has announced that the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) will be resuming oil exploration in the Lake Chad Basin of Borno State.
Speaking after meeting with the Chief of Army Staff, Lt-Gen. Tukur Buratai and the Commander of the Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF), Maj-Gen. Ibrahim Yusuf at the Maimalari Cantonment in Maiduguri, Sylva said oil exploration is resuming because they believe there is relative peace in the area for drilling activities to continue.
The Minister added that the collaboration with the military is to ensure that security is being provided for oil exploration and drilling activities to commence very soon in the basin.
Sylva said;
“The NNPC has seen a lot of prospects in Chad Basin to commence exploration and drilling activities. That is why the corporation is collaborating with the army to resume oil explorations.
“We wanted to commence exploration and drilling activities there because we believe that there is relative peace in this area enough for us to continue drilling activities in the northeast.
“As you may well know, we have found oil in Gombe State and we believe that there is a lot of oil to be found in the Chad Basin.”
