Yenagoa—Governor Douye Diri of Bayelsa State Wednesday called on the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR), the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Chief Timipre Sylva to consider returning the Atala oil marginal field (OML 46) back to the state.
The governor, who made the call before the commencement of the weekly state executive council meeting, noted that the oilfield remains a prized asset, which Bayelsans are sentimentally and emotionally attached to.
In a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Daniel Alabrah, the governor said, “There has been this issue of the Bayelsa State-owned Atala Oilfield. We kept a studied silence over the matter because we needed to have all the information that led to the revocation of the licence on our state-owned asset.
“Bayelsans are emotionally and sentimentally attached to that asset as it is the only oil asset we own even though it is a marginal oilfield. It was a surprise and rude shock to us that the licence was revoked.
He pointed out that, “Part of what I have done in the last one week of my absence was to state the position of the Bayelsa State Government, which I did very clearly to the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
“So our position on Atala Oilfield is that it is a prized asset of Bayelsa State and that revocation should be cancelled. Unequivocally, we have said so and we believe that those in authority would see reason why we are sentimentally and emotionally attached to the Atala OilField.
“Bayelsa State government might not have the financial capacity or the technical know-how. But the government is ready to partner financial and technical experts to ensure that the field goes into full production.
“Therefore, let me use the opportunity to inform Exco that your government has actually taken a position on the Atala Oilfield and that it should remain a property of the Bayelsa State government.
“I call on all who are concerned on the Atala Oilfield, namely DPR, the Petroleum Ministry, NNPC and indeed our own son, the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, to do all within their powers to ensure that the Atala Oil Field is returned to Bayelsa State,” he concluded.
