The Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) has commenced the radiometric survey of the Bida Basin in Niger in line with Federal government’s aspiration to diversify hydrocarbon exploration across all the basins.
Mr Ahmad Shakur, the Director of DPR, disclosed this in a statement by Mr Paul Osu, Head, Public Affairs Department on Wednesday in Lagos.
Osu quoted Shakur as having disclosed this during a courtesy visit to Gov. Abubakar Bello of Niger, adding that the exercise would cover 12 local government areas of the state.
The director, who said the objective of the radiometric survey was also to determine the hydrocarbon prospective of the Bida Basin, solicited the cooperation of the state government in sensitising the people in the affected local government areas of the survey to ensure the success of the project.
Shakur, who was in the company of the agency’s survey team, noted that the sensitisation would ensure the safe conduct of the programme.
Bello, who represented by his Deputy, Alhaji Ahmed Ketso, promised to give DPR maximum support including the provision of adequate security for the survey team. He said that the state government was delighted having DPR, the petroleum regulatory agency, to survey state.
The governor expressed optimism that when the operational, project would boost the economy of the state by way of job creation among other advantages.
In the same vein, Shakur paid a courtesy visit to the Emir of Bida, Alhaji Yahaya Abubakar where he also solicited for the cooperation of the monarch to ensure the success of the survey of the Bida Basin.
Receiving the team, the emir assured it of sensitising the people for the success of the project.
(NAN)