By Nse Anthony-Uko
(Sundiata Post) – The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) said it is has held useful discourses with its upstream joint venture partner, ExxonMobil, to expand existing operational portfolio in the country with a view to increasing crude oil production and gas for power generation.
Consequently, ExxonMobil has hinted that it is set to increase its JV budget for 2018 operations.
A statement issued by the Corporation’s spokesperson, Ndu Ughamadu, said the joint venture with ExxonMobil, which until recently was the highest producer of crude oil in the country, was primed to make a rebound.
According to the statement the Group Managing Director of NNPC, Dr. Maikanti Baru, disclosed this in Abuja after a meeting with a high-powered ExxonMobil delegation led by Mr. Jack Williams, Senior Vice-President of the United States-based global oil Corporation.
Dr. Baru was quoted as saying that the Corporation had advanced talks with ExxonMobil on major operational issues like improved drilling to increase production and refurbishment of crude oil pipelines as well as supply of gas to the planned Qua Iboe Independent Power Plant among others.
“More importantly we also discussed their recommitment to supply gas to the domestic market and this is something that is very positive and they are willing; we would quickly roll-out the programme to ensure that sufficient gas comes in for the IPP. We also secured a commitment from them to end gas flare at QIT and other production areas,” he said.
Describing the meeting as very fruitful, Williams on his part noted that ExxonMobil was committed to growing its production in Nigeria, “safely and with much integrity”.
The statement quoted Williams as saying that ExxonMobil was set to increase its JV budget for 2018 operations as a show of its commitment aspiration to the growth in production initiative.