From; Abdul Ardo
After receiving reports from the host communities of the movement and dismantling of machineries from the Kolmani Oil prospecting site, Gombe State Commissioner of Energy and Mineral Resources Alhaji Sunusi Ahmad Pindiga and his counter part from Bauchi have explained their visit to the site of the Kolmani Oil Well Projects to actually observe wether the dismantling and moving out of the oil drilling rig to another location outside Gombe and Bauchi States is true or not.
The Commission er was answering questions via Telephone with reporters.
He said “, The visit followed a report from the host communities about dismantling and moving out of the oil drilling rig to another location outside Gombe and Bauchi States. This made the host communities to be worried and pleaded for intervention”.
Commissioner Pindiga said “when I heard about it I called the field base manager ,he told us to come for in the spot assessment,and I informed the Bauchi State Commissioner of Natural Resources, we went there with high powered delegates from Bauchi and Gombe State.”
He said when we arrived at the Kolmani project site The Field Base Manager of AOML and representative of NNPC L received the high powered delegation warmly . They dispelled the claims going round about possibility of Suspending the ongoing projects’.
“They inform the team that the rig to be taken out, has completed it’s job assignment being a small rig. Now a bigger rig will be required to continue with Re-Entry into KR 2, KR3 and KR 4.’ oil wells”
He further explained that the small Rigg which has already dug over 10,000 meters and the next stage of the Job requires clearing of the two fields including casting along the site of Bauchi State, which they will use a bigger rigger to dig and from the site of Gombe they will build a road that will led to the three field they cleared. What remains now is casting.
Pindiga said “from the locations called Bauchi and Gombe, they have completed two wells each which had deposits , while from Gombe State site already they dug three wells”.
Commissioner Pindiga said The team was taken round the project sites and everything was working well.
He said ” In there separate messages, the Honourable Commissioners calls for greater engagement with all critical stakeholders. representatives of Government, we’re calling on all to be calm, as government is doing everything possible to ensure cordial working relationship, and commended the management of NNPCL for giving fair hearing to the affected states, and pledged that the two high powered delegation will report to their respective State Governors”.
The Kolmani oil field, is in the border between Bauchi and Gombe States, was first inaugurated two years ago by former President Muhammadu Buhari in a historic move marking the first oil exploration venture in northern Nigeria, their licence was expired and recently , President Bola Ahmed Tinubu granted approval for the issuance of all critical regulatory licences for the Kolmani Integrated Development Projects.
The project is located between Bauchi and Gombe States, where the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) said oil search would resume with the imperative to activate all available oil platforms for increased production.
Oil and gas remain vital to Nigeria’s development and revenue generation and the Federal government is ready to work closely with both Bauchi and Gombe states to ensure the project’s success.
Recently,The Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Oil), Lokpobiri Heineken explained that crude oil from Kolmani has already been factored into Nigeria’s projected production capacity, highlighting its role in the nation’s broader energy strategy.
He explained that Nigeria is committed to leveraging its hydrocarbon assets responsibly as part of a balanced approach to energy transition.
Heineken, said, “The Federal Government is looking forward to drilling more barrels of oil, hence the need for more commitment in drilling the Bauchi site.
“When this government came in, we were drilling about a million barrels. Today, we are drilling about one million, eight hundred thousand (1,800,000) barrels. Our target is to drill two m
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