LAGOS- The Lagos State Government says it will encourage individuals and organisations whose programmes are geared toward making Lagos a mineral producing state.
The Acting Permanent Secretary, Office of Special Adviser solid Mineral Development, Mr. Agboola Blaise, stated this when the Group President, Mabon Group International, Mr. Derek Skoyles, called on him in Ikeja.
Mabon Group International is an oil company, exploring for crude oil in Lagos area as the state lies at the eastern end of the Dahomey Basin .
In a statement made available to the media in Lagos , Blaise said that most mineral deposits in other states of the country were also found in the sedimentary basins in which Lagos State is located.
“The state’s reserve of solid mineral deposits, including oil and gas, is enormous and with continued research, exploration and investigation, the economic base of the state can be broadened.
“This will thereby enhance the revenue accruable to it as well as create employment opportunities for teaming unemployed Lagosians,” Blaise was quoted as saying.
Skoyles said that studies conducted by the company on oil exploration in the state showed that so many oil wells in the state had not been developed in terms of seismic shooting, which is a pivotal step in oil exploration.
Equating the situation of oil exploratory activities in the state with that of Texas in the U.S., Skoyles said that more companies were prospecting for oil and gas in deep well in Texas, attracting more revenue to Texas.
He reiterated that his company was ready to deliver quality service as well as assist the state by putting up a framework on oil and gas exploration in line with the vision of the state government.
He, however, urged the government to monitor all oil prospecting companies operating in the area for accelerated work and advise any of them which statutorily has not drilled three wells and shot a minimum of 1,000km of seismic within five years of its operations to withdraw.
He advised that foreign partners could be sought to make the hope of Lagos an oil producing state a reality sooner than expected.
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