Professor ‘discovers’ large quantities of crude oil in Niger state

Crude oil deposits have been found in Bida basin in Niger state, subject to confirmation by the appropriate authorities.

Nuhu Obaje, a professor and director of the Ibrahim Badamasi Babaginda University Research Centre, Lapai, made this known  on Thursday in Lagos.

He said  his centre has informed the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and the Niger state government about its finding.

Obaje also said his centre has introduced a technology for quick crude oil discovery and drilling.

Obaje made the disclosure at the exhibition of raw materials and local products in the Manufacturing and Equipment EXPO Nigeria 2017, in Lagos.

“We have a technology that finds oil faster. We found crude oil at Bida Basin and we used our technology to locate more areas,” he said.

“We have communicated it to Nigerian National Petroleum Company and the state government.

“They will use our research and produce oil faster and in abundance. Already, the Niger state governor, Bello Sani, has written to the presidency.

“We are aware that they have acted on it. The ball is in the NNPC’s court because we are waiting for them”, Obaje said.

The director said his team was at the exhibition to showcase their products.

“We have moved to another level of application, innovation and domestication. We are here to demonstrate the research we have been doing over the years.

“We have developed a new technology of using clean coal for electricity generation, smokeless fuel production and power generation.

“We are using clean coals to stop the generation of fumes that are dangerous, so that people can use it without it being injurious to their health.

“Ordinarily, coal emits green house gases that negatively affect the climate but at IBB University Research Centre, we have had that dangerous part of the coals removed”, he said.

The director also spoke about the exploration of solid mineral deposits in the state and other parts of the country.

“We are hoping that solid minerals and agriculture will complement crude oil as we are keying into the Federal Government’s policy of diversification”, Obaje said.

Naomi Dadi-Mamud, deputy director of the centre, said the centre was using oil and dead plants to generate bio-gas.

“My research on bio gas renewable technology was to convert such invasive plants on water bodies, like water lilies, and turn it to something useful.

“We cut the water lilies and dry before we convert them to either cooking or chemistry gas. Soon, we will begin to bottle the biogas and sell it commercially.

“Already, with a ton of water lilies, we produce 10,000 cubic meters of bio-gas daily and our goal in the future is to increase capacity.”