Delta State Government is planning an industrial gas park in Kwale and a modular refinery in Sapele, as part of efforts to harness its huge oil and gas potentials.
The Commissioner, Ministry of Oil and Gas, Mr. Freeman Fregene, who disclosed this during a consultative stakeholders forum of oil and gas host communities for Delta North Senatorial District of the state in Asaba, said the state government has 40 per cent out of the nation’s 192 trillion standard cubic feet of gas deposits in the country.
Flanked by the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry, Mrs Nkem Ajufo, the commissioner said the proposed industrial gas park and modular refinery would improve the socio-economic well-being of Deltans when completed.
Fregene said the consultative stakeholder’s forum with the theme “Curbing Youth Restiveness and Criminality in the Oil and Gas Sector for Sustainable Development in Delta State” was organised to identify the causes of youth restiveness and other criminality and proffer solutions that would create enabling environment for sustainable development.
The oil and gas commissioner said the state government under the leadership of Governor Ifeanyi Okowa was desirous of sustainable peace through dialogue in order to sustain growth and development of communities.
He noted that within the last two years the state had witnessed a steady increase in crude oil production as a result of the relative peace in the Niger Delta region and urged youths to shun vandalism, illegal bunkering, rancour and excessive and unnecessary monetary demands from oil companies.
While emphasizing the need for host communities to ensure the inputs of the state government when signing Memorandum of Understanding with oil companies, Fregene disclosed that the Ministries of Oil and Gas and Ministry of Justice have been mandated to always interface with oil companies in tackling issues that could threaten amicable relationship between the communities and oil companies.
In a lecture on the theme of the consultative forum, a senior lecturer in the Department of Political Science, Delta State University, Abraka, Dr. Princewill Okereka said there was a need for regular interaction between host communities, oil companies and the state government which are the critical stakeholders in the oil and gas sector.
SOURCE: oglinks.news