The Nigeria National Petroleum Cooperation (NNPC) said it has started the process of oil and gas exploration in Sokoto.

NNPC Group Managing Director, Maikanti Baru said this when he received Aminu Tambuwal, governor of Sokoto state, at the NNPC Towers in Abuja.

“We have been on the issue of exploration in the frontier basins and so far some measures have been taken. We have already purchased aeromagnetic data and it’s being interpreted to determine the sedimentary thickness and the basin configuration,” Imam Imam, Tambuwal’s spokesman, quoted Baru.

“Secondly, we have awarded a contract for the geological mapping of the basin and I am happy to state here that samples have been collected, mapped, analysed and geological modeling executed so as to ensure data integration.”

Baru also said talks were ongoing for the award of contract for surface geochemistry, ground gravity and magnetics at the basin.

“After all these are carried out, we will then begin to drill for oil and gas in the basin,” he added.

Tambuwal disclosed the plan of the state government to organise a national conference on the Sokoto basin.

“We are inviting you and the NNPC to take part in this important conference because we believe it will add value in our search for hydrocarbon in the Sokoto basin,” he said.