The Vice-Chancellor of the Ibrahim Badamasi Babaginda University Lapai (IBBUL) Professor Abu Kasim Adamu has described the discovery of oil in Bauchi state estimated at over one billion barrels and the successful drilling of the Kolmani River 2 well near Alkaleri village of the state as a monumental achievement of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC).
He said this feat was made possible through the determination of the former Group Managing Director of the corporation, Dr. Maikanti Baru to shore up Nigeria’s oil and gas reserves.
Professor Adamu spoke at the commissioning of a geological research centre named after late Dr Baru and perimeter fence donated to the university by NNPC .
“To his credit, NNPC’s campaign in the Gongola Basin of the Upper Benue Trough was a historical and monumental success with the successful drilling of Kolmani River-2 well near Alkaleri in Bauchi State and discovery of approximately 1 billion barrels of oil, bigger in volume than any of our giant fields in the currently producing basins. Dr. Maikanti Kacalla Baru will ever remain in our memories”, he said.
He said in March 2017, IBBUL was invited by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) for discussions on the university’s engagement in the Bida Basin, adding that thereafter in November 2017, IBBUL was commissioned by the NNPC to carry out field mapping and geological studies of the Bida and Sokoto Basins which has been successfully completed in May 2018.
The vice-chancellor expressed appreciation to the management of NNPC for the establishment of Professorial Chair endowment in IBBUL, adding that this came with the construction of a Professorial Chair Office and High-impact geological laboratories with state-of-the-art equipment and facilities.
He said, “The Dr. Maikanti Kacalla Baru Geological Research Centre at this University is a regional hub for high impact laboratory services with facilities that include ground magnetometer, falling head perimeter, accelerated solvent extractor, near subsurface auger drilling machine, rock cutting and polishing machine.”
He listed other facilities at the centre to include , ore microscopes, several polarizing and equally several zoom microscopes, sieve shakers, latest models of Garmin GPS and large numbers of Erwin compasses all needed for oil/gas exploration and mineral studies.
He commended the the Managing Director of NNPC, Mallam Mele Kolo Kyari, for building on the legacies of Dr. Baru and the corporate running of the NNPC with greater zeal, adding that Mallam Mele Kolo Kyari has continued to support the projects at this
