The dream of becoming oil producing area
and therefore entitled to more funds from the federation account is gradually
translating to reality for more states outside the traditional oil-rich
southern Nigeria.
Some states in the northern part of the country are also warming up to join the
league of oil producers.
Anambra State, in the South East zone, yesterday became the latest
oil producing area in the country when President Goodluck Jonathan commissioned
the production of oil at the Aguleri, facility of the Orient Petroleum
Resources (OPR) Plc.
Recently, oil was reportedly found in Sokoto State
in the North West
zone. And now, Kogi is warming up to join the league as Governor Idris Wada
said oil wells had been discovered and were being explored in Odeke community
in Ibaji Local Council of the state.
The unveiling of the multi-billion dollar
Orient Petroleum’s production facilities in Anambra was also historical as it
emerged the first oil production from an inland basin in the country.
At the official commissioning, President
Jonathan said the production had opened a new vista of opportunities for
Anambra indigenes and the country. He lauded the integrated style of production
adopted by the board and management of Orient.
Calling on other operators to emulate the
local company, the President expressed confidence that the model, when
replicated widely, would end the era of gas flaring and environmental
degradation in oil producing communities.
Jonathan noted that production and
refining “is the right way to go” as the country aspires to get more value from
its petroleum resources and create more jobs for its citizens. When the country
refines, the President said, it would be able to meet local consumption and
export refined products to other countries. Increasing refining
capacity, he said, is a critical part of the administration’s
transformation agenda. He promised that the government would support companies
that have genuine intention to explore opportunities in the refining segment of
the industry.
President Jonathan was optimistic that the
exploration of the Anambra Inland Basin oil would accelerate the desire to
begin production in other basins in the country, just as he said the government
would support every move in that regard.
Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs.
Diezani Alison-Madueke, said the ministry would extend support to the country’s
indigenous oil firms to increase their capacity to compete favourably in the
local sector and to harness opportunities at global market. She was not,
however, specific about the kind of support the local firms would get from the
ministry.
During a media interactive session, the
former Secretary-General of the Commonwealth said Orient, in conjunction with
the state government, had set up a conflict resolution committee to ensure that
communal crises arising from its operations are amicably settled for the
benefit of all.
Anyaoku, who could not hide his excitement
about the development, said the flare from the oil well at the site of the
commissioning ceremony would end soon as the company had put in place robust
strategies to convert gas for proper use.
He predicted that the refining arm, which
is billed to start operation before the end of next year, would turn out 20,000
barrels per day of finished products by end of 2013. He pledged that the
wholy-indigenous firm has come to add value to the oil and gas sector.
Anyaoku said the ownership conflict among
Anambra, Kogi and Enugu states on the oil field
had been fully resolved after a recent meeting with Enugu State
government, and that bulk of the crude is in the Anambra territory. He stressed
that the company would be ready to discuss with any state where it finds oil in
commercial quantity.
With Rivers, Kogi and Anambra already part
of the ownership of the facility, the elder statesman told the media that other
states had indicated interest to own a stake in Orient, which the managing
director, Nnemeka Nwawka, said would be listed in the Nigerian Stock Exchange
(NSE) in due course.
In an exclusive chat, Nwawka said the asset
of the oil firm was far above $20 billion, and that the company had enjoyed
reasonable goodwill from host communities and the government.
Kogi State Governor Wada, who spoke
through his Deputy, Yomi Awoniyi, at the inauguration of the new refinery, said
his state would be a major stakeholder, considering the recent discovery and
exploration of oil wells in Odeke community.
While stressing that the state was doing
everything humanly possible to resolve the issues surrounding the location of
the oil wells with the contending states, he commended Orient Petroleum for the
bold initiatives adding that the nation’s economy can only receive the
necessary and needed boost when indigenes invest in the nation.
SOURCE: GUARDIAN
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