NNPC to Partner Schlumberger on Chad Basin, Benue Trough Oil Exploration

By Chineme Okafor in Abuja
 

The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) has said it would collaborate with globally recognised oil service company, Schlumberger, in its ongoing search for commercial quantities of hydrocarbon deposits in the Chad basin and other parts of Nigeria’s inland sedimentary basins.

The corporation in a statement from its Group General Manager, Public Affairs, Ndu Ughamadu on Friday in Abuja, explained that the partnership would include the deployment of state-of-the-art technology by Schlumberger in the frontier basins oil exploration.

The statement said its Chief Operating Officer, Ventures, Dr. Babatunde Adeniran, said this in the latest edition of its monthly bulletin.

According to Adeniran, NNPC was on the verge of executing an agreement with Schlumberger on this. The agreement, he noted would be centered on vital areas like exploration and reservoir management among others.

“We are concluding partnership arrangement with Schlumberger in four research areas commencing 2017. The first is exploration and risks assessment studies of the Nigerian frontier basins, which include the upper Benue where NNPC is currently carrying out exploration works. We believe this will help the ongoing campaign in the Chad Basin and the upper Benue Trough,” Adeniran said in the statement.

He listed other areas the collaboration with Schlumberger would include to be wwellbore instabilities studies to assist in reducing drilling costs through prevention of stuck pipes especially for directional drillings, as well as improving safety and drilling performance.

The collaboration, according to Adeniran would also cover formation damage prevention to improve oil and gas recovery and economic viability of the reservoir, risk reduction, complex depositional systems and drilling challenges.

He noted that NNPC’s Research and Development Division would also take advantage of a $1 billion global endowment fund for research which Schlumberger instituted.

“These projects were showcased at the last conference of the National Association of Petroleum Explorationist (NAPE). As if we knew, Schlumberger at the session announced $1 billion to be spent on research from next year worldwide. This is a coincidence and a plus to R&D as this will provide opportunity to explore improvement on exploration activities in Nigeria,” he noted.

Adeniran equally explained that the corporation was working to reach another accord with Schlumberger on Pressure Volume and Temperature (PVT) sampling and analysis.

He said: “Schlumberger initially planned to set up its own PVT laboratory in Nigeria, but discovered that NNPC R&D already has a well-equipped lab. They concluded then that instead of setting up theirs, they can partner with R&D. 

“Several meetings and negotiations took place between the two parties. A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was prepared, which has already been signed by Schlumberger and NNPC is on the verge of executing its own part.”

Meanwhile, the NNPC also said that its depots across the country had resumed loading of petroleum products following the suspension of a strike action by the National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG).

It said its current petroleum products stock was robust and at over 37 days sufficiency for petrol.

It maintained that with the resumption in production of diesel and kerosene by its refineries in Port Harcourt, Kaduna and Warri, Nigerians could be rest assured that a seamless flow of petroleum products would be sustained.

It also pledged its commitment to sustain the prevailing harmonious relations with industry unions, and urged Nigerians not to engage in panic buying of petrol because it has adequate supply of white products to meet their needs nationwide.