Ike Amos
Abuja — The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, Tuesday, indicated interest in working with the Indonesian national oil company, Pertamina, to improve on the volume of Nigeria’s crude oil export.
In a statement in Abuja, Group Managing Director of the NNPC, Mallam Mele Kyari, stated that the partnership with Pertamina could open up more opportunities for the nation’s crude oil and gas in the face of the unpredictable global market.
Kyari, who stated this during the visit of the Indonesian Ambassador to Nigeria, His Excellency, Dr. Usra Hendra Harahap, noted that the NNPC was ready to renew the trade contract with the Republic of Indonesia which expired last year and directed the relevant arms of the corporation to work out modalities to ensure a better deal for the benefit of both countries.
Also speaking, the Indonesian Ambassador, Harahap, noted that Indonesia has a long history of mutual relationship with Nigeria and was ready to improve on its $2.5 billion trade balance with Nigeria.
According to him, last year alone, Indonesia imported from Nigeria, crude oil worth about $2.5 billion, adding, however, that the contract ended in December 2018.
He noted that crude oil from Nigeria was considered to be of very high quality and environmentally friendly, while he expressed confidence in the capacity of the NNPC new GMD to deliver on his mandate as the leader of the oil and gas industry in Nigeria.
“The new NNPC boss is very experienced. I read his curriculum vitae and I found it very wonderful. Nobody can cheat him because he grew through the ranks to the top. I think NNPC will be very strong by his leadership qualities”, the diplomat concluded.
