Anambra Joins Oil-producing States .

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.