All is ready for Anambra State to join the league of oil-producing states in the country, as Orient Petroleum Resources Plc is to commence the production of crude any moment from now. Chairman, Board of Directors of the company and former Secretary General of the Commonwealth, Chief Emeka Anyaoku, announced this while inspecting the company’s facilities at Aguleri Otu with Governor Peter Obi, Dr Alex Ekwueme, Managing Director of Orient Petroleum, Engr Emeka Nwoawka, Igwe Peter Anukwu of Mbaukwu and other stakeholders yesterday.

Anyaoku said the company was ready to start production of crude in a couple of weeks, which would mark the first time crude is produced in inland basin in the country. He disclosed that the company’s service contractor had made significant progress in the acquisition of high resolution 3D seismic data over 640 square kilometres of Orient’s oil blocks OPL 915 & 916 to delineate the full extent of the hydrocarbon discoveries and prospects.

The team also inspected the 20-kilometre access road to the oil wells and the 10-kilometre flow line for evacuating crude to a spot at Anambra River basin, from where evacuation of crude will be undertaken by barges to Brass in Bayelsa State.
The company, according to Anyaoku, had equally finalised the detailed engineering and sourced the modules of its 55,000 bpd refinery. It had also completed the geotechnical, geological and hydro-geological surveys and civil engineering works for installation of refinery equipment.

Orient Petroleum had also completed acquisition of seven hectares of land from Kogi State for establishment of depot for distribution of petroleum products from the refinery to the North and other parts of the country.
Conducting the delegation round the facilities, the Managing Director of Orient Petroleum gave assurance that Anambra would soon join the club of oil-producing states. He thanked Governor Obi for his interest in the project and appealed to him to continue to support it. He said the drilling environment conformed to international standards.
Responding, Obi commended the Board of Orient Petroleum for its resilience and determination to bring the project on stream. He said that when functional, the company would, among other things, create employment, fast-track overall development of the host community as well as contribute in strengthening the State and national economy. He assured of continued government support for the project.

Earlier, the Board of Orient Petroleum Plc had paid a courtesy visit to Governor Obi at the Government House before proceeding on the inspection


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