OpeOluwani Akintayo
22 March 2018, Sweetcrude, Abuja — The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, has expressed its readiness to collaborate with the Nigerian Mining & Geosciences Society, NMGS towards growing the nation’s abundant hydrocarbon reserves.
Group Managing Director of the corporation, Dr. Maikanti Baru, disclosed this in a statement by signed by NNPC’s Group General Manager, Group Public Affairs Division, Ndu Ughamadu shortly after being conferred with the honourary fellowship of the Society in Kano, on Tuesday.
Established in 1977 for the advancement and practice of mining, earth sciences, and metallurgy, the Nigerian Mining and Geosciences Society (NMGS) is charged with upholding the ethics and safeguarding the interests of the professions covered by the society.
Dr. Baru, who acknowledged the “indispensable role” played by geoscientists, mining engineers as well as metallurgists towards the development of the nation’s Oil and Gas Industry, said NMGS was critical to the attainment of the NNPC’s core mandate.
“NNPC pledges to continue to work with you and every willing partner in the search for more hydrocarbon deposits in the country,” he said.
He said it was in line with this collaboration that the corporation developed a strategy involving various geoscience departments in the country’s tertiary institutions which culminated in the renewed search for hydrocarbon deposits in the inland basins.
“Our search is primarily targeted at increasing the hydrocarbon reserves of the country and also to harness these resources which may be in other parts of the country,” he added.
He described as “saddening” last year’s unfortunate incident which claimed the lives of some University of Maiduguri staff working on the Chad basin exploration as well as the loss of one of the corporation’s staff working on the Benue Trough exploration.
“I pledge on behalf of the NNPC that their sacrifice shall not be in vain. There is no better way to honour the efforts of our gallant heroes than to continue the good work they died for,” he added.
