WHAT the people of Anambra
State had been clamouring
for over the years is about to
happen and that is that the
state will soon be included
among the oil producing
states in the country with its
attendant benefits. Though
the Anambra River basin was
known to be rich in crude oil
and gas deposits, it was
placed on what was
described in the industry, as
strategic reserve.
However, following the
efforts of notable persons
from the state who are
stakeholders in the Orient
Petroleum Resources Plc, the
company prospecting for oil
in the area and with the
support of the present
administration led by
Governor Peter Obi, a major
breakthrough in making
Anambra an oil producing
state has been achieved.
The company has plans to
establish housing estates to
serve the workers. There is
also a plan to have an airstrip
in the area for which a
committee made up of
experts in the aviation
industry is already working
on. Other activities being
embarked upon by the
company include gas
processing and transmission,
as well as power generation
and transmission, oil and gas
exploration and production
and petroleum refining.
When it comes on full stream,
Orient Petroleum Refinery,
which has its operational
office at Otuocha in Anambra
East local government area,
would process crude oil from
its facility at Aguleri Otu in
Anambra West local
government of the state.
Other byproducts of the
refinery are petrol, diesel,
kerosene, road grade asphalt,
and cooking gas and would
offer about 2000 jobs.
OPR has an integrated
business model that spans
the upstream and
downstream of the petroleum
industry. After the Federal
Government of Nigeria (FGN)
granted the company the
license to establish, and the
approval to construct its
55,000 bpd refinery in 2002
and 2004, respectively, the
company had gone ahead to
obtain from the FGN in 2005
the Environmental Impact
Assessment (EIA) certificate
for its refinery, which made
Orient Petroleum the first
refinery in Nigeria to obtain
such an EIA certificate.
The company decided early in
2011 to fast-track a staged
development of its two oil
blocks, OPL 915 and OPL 916
by initial completion and
production testing of one of
the already drilled oil wells
and 3D seismic data
acquisition.
The two blocks are very close
to the location of the
company's refining facility at
Aguleri Otu. This staged oil
field development is expected
to generate cash flow to
support the financing and
early completion of the
refinery, which officials of
the company observed, is a
capital intensive project.
Chairman of the Orient
Petroleum Resources Ltd and
former secretary general of
the Commonwealth, Chief
Emeka Anyaoku confirmed
that the company would start
crude oil exploration,
production and sales this
year and since receiving the
two oil blocks, the company
has been conducting the
necessary exploration and
production work to ensure
timely provision of crude
feedstock to the refinery.
It is envisaged that
completion of the refinery
installation would be by end
2012, including overseas
procurement and shipment of
long lead items and on-site
fabrication of storage tanks.
After many years of waiting
therefore, the joy of the host
communities in Anambra
State knew no bounds when
it became clear to them that
all is set for Anambra State to
join the league of oil
producing states in Nigeria ..
When the chairman, board of
directors, Chief Anyaoku
announced that production
would soon begin, the people
beat their drums and danced
to the admiration of the
visitors. Anyaoku, in
company of Governor Peter
Obi, former vice president, Dr
Alex Ekwueme, Managing
Director of Orient Petroleum
Plc,Engr. Emeka Nwawka,
Igwe Peter Anukwu of
Mbaukwu and other
stakeholders, inspected the oil
facilities at Aguleri Otu and
were shown round the oil
well by top officials of the
company.
When Orient Petroleum
eventually starts production,
it would mark the first time
crude would be produced in
inland basin in the country.
Already, the company's
service contractor had made
significant progress in the
acquisition of high resolution
3D seismic data over 640
square kilometers of Orient's
oil blocks OPL 915 & 916 to
delineate the full extent of the
hydrocarbon discoveries and
prospects.
During the visit, the team also
inspected the 20- kilometre
access road to the oil wells
and the 10 -kilometre flow
line for evacuating crude to a
spot at Anambra River basin
from where evacuation of
crude would be undertaken
by barges to Brass in Bayelsa
State . It had also completed
acquisition of seven hectares
of land from Kogi State for
establishment of a depot for
distribution of petroleum
products from the refinery to
the north and other parts of
the country.
Managing Director of Orient
Petroleum, Mr. Emeka
Nwawka who was elated at
the level of progress made by
the company, assured that
Anambra will soon join the
club of oil producing States
and commended Governor
Obi for his interest in the
project and appealed to him
to continue to support it. He
said the drilling environment
conformed to international
standards.
Obi, on his part, commended
the board of Orient Petroleum
for its resilience and
determination to bring the
project on stream, noting that
when functional, the
company would among other
things, create employment,
fast-track overall
development of the host
community, as well as
contribute in strengthening
the state and national
economy. He also assured of
continued government
support for the project.
The main problem starring
the oil company in the face is
the deplorable condition of
road leading to the oil
facilities.
For instance, for one to get to
the well site at Aguleri Otu, he
has to pass through Ezeagu
local government in Enugu
State and then ferry over the
Anambra River by pontoon to
the Anambra State end where
the oil deposits were struck
and where the refinery is
located.
Governor Obi, who was not
happy with such strenuous
journey which he observed,
entails so much waste of
quality man hour, is already
thinking of a way out of the
problem. It was gathered that
the governor has already
directed officials of the state
ministry of works to study
the possibility of constructing
a road and a bridge from
Anaku area directly to Aguleri
Otu for easy access to the site
of the oil facilities.
Obi had also severally
announced that the the area
where the oil facility is
located, would form part of
the proposed mega city that
would extend to the
commercial city of Onitsha .
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