
By Moses Patience Chat
A Professor of Energy and Natural Resources at the University of Abuja, Olanrewaju Aladeitan, has said that the inventions of new and improved technologies will enhance the discovery and exploration of oil and gas in Nigeria.
Aladeitan made this known in an interactive session with reporters In Abuja, where he noted that the new discovery has taken this long because the technologies used years ago are not sophisticated as compared to what can be obtained now to help in the exploration.
According to him, “all the troughs had shown evidence of crude oil and gas in the past, but the technology available then may not have made it possible to follow up the discoveries and not as if those areas never showed evidence of crude oil as there were traces,”
“So, in some of those unconventional sources, you use new technology and you will definitely discover this natural resource.
“What I am saying in essence is that with improved technology and improved knowledge now, we can get clearer pictures of those things we could not assess or have information about in the past,”
He further said that there is need to cut down gas flare and take advantage of the economic potential of gas reserves in the country, adding that Nigeria is more of a gas nation than of crude oil, given the volume of its gas reserves which is around 206 trillion cubic feet (TCF).
Aladeitan, who also commended the recent discoveries of oil and gas in the country, stated that some of the new frontiers that are being discovered have more gas reserves than crude oil reserves, translating that Nigeria’s reserve of gas is very huge.
In his words, “around Igbariam in Anambra State, we have a huge gas reserve; we have the Bauchi-Gombe new oil and gas discovery that is fast coming on and recently in Nasarawa and Niger states.
“By the time the efforts are taken to the Sokoto Trough, we may also find some reserves there as well.”