Heineken Lokpobiri, Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Oil), announced that the ministry is identifying regions with high mineral exploration potential.
Lokpobiri revealed that the ministry is collaborating with the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited and the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) to explore areas with great prospects.
“In line with the provisions of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA), which empowers the Ministry to carry out exploration in areas of great prospect through the Frontier Exploration Fund, we are identifying regions with high mineral exploration potential, in conjunction with the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) and the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC),” Lokpobiri said.
“I made this known while receiving the Governor of Kogi State, H.E. Alhaji Ahmed Usman Ododo, and his entourage during a courtesy visit aimed at fostering productive collaboration between the state and the ministry of petroleum resources,” he added.
As Kogi joins the league of oil-producing states, Lokpobiri warned of increased seismic activity in the region due to efforts to discover more oil fields, which will boost output and enhance the state’s revenue share.
This development follows Kogi’s recognition as one of Nigeria’s oil-producing states by the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) in September 2021.
Lokpobiri reaffirmed the ministry’s commitment to partnering with state governments in oil exploration efforts, particularly given significant investment commitments from international oil companies (IOCs) and the Independent Petroleum Producers Group (IPPG).
He attributed this progress to President Bola Tinubu’s leadership in transforming the oil sector.
