By Ado Abubakar Musa & Dickson S. Adam, Jos

The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) says it is exploring for oil and gas in Wase and Kanam Local Government Areas of Plateau State. The NNPC said Wase and Kanam, which are parts of the Upper and Middle Benue Trough. have oil and gas prospects capable of contributing to the economic growth of the country.

The exploration exercise was disclosed on Saturday when the Management of the organisation paid Governor Simon Bako Lalong a courtesy visit at Government House, Little Rayfield, Jos. Group Managing Director of the NNPC, Mele Kyari through the Group General Manager, Frontiers Exploration Services, Abdullahi Bomai, while highlighting on the development, stressed that NNPC has acquired and used modern equipment which has resulted to the identification of hydrocarbon materials in the Upper and Middle Benue Trough.

He added that NNPC has identified additional oil and gas province known as the Kolmani discovery in addition to those of the Niger-Delta as well as increase the worth of the Benue Trough with a billion barrels of oil reserves among others.

While emphasising on the readiness of Government to cooperate in the process, Kyari also assured to engage people of Plateau as skilled, semi-skilled and unskilled workers in different operations in the two identified LGAs.

Commenting on the development, the Governor who was represented by his Deputy, Professor Sonni Tyoden, commended the NNPC for such untiring efforts, noting that under the leadership of Mele Kyari, the organisation had done exceedingly well in identifying and unraveling geological deposits in the Upper and Middle Benue Trough.

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NNPC Begins Oil Search in Plateau State