The Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (oil), Heineken Lokpobiri, has reaffirmed the ministry’s commitment to a strong partnership with the Nigerian Institution of Petroleum Engineers (NIPetE) to advance the oil and gas industry.

Lokpobiri made the commitment during NIPetE delegations to his office on the formal invitation of the minister to the institution’s third annual conference on October 31 and November 1, 2024.

The minister pointed out that the ministry is committed to collaborating with the institution in major areas of the industry, including capacity building in universities and enhancing professional practices to boost and sustain oil production in the country.

He expressed concern over current low production levels, emphasising the need to leverage the expertise of NIPetE members to tackle the challenges of increasing oil output, crucial for the nation’s economic growth.

Lokpobiri acknowledged significant investments in industry capacity but noted a lack of tangible results, calling for a new approach to ensure Nigeria’s success.

The minister committed to attending the upcoming NIPetE conference, proposing a collaborative agenda, which will be reviewed quarterly, to guide their partnership moving forward.

National Chairman of NiPeTE, Prisca Kanebi, highlighted NIPetE’s initiative to facilitate sabbaticals for academic petroleum engineers with leading Nigerian exploration and production companies, enabling them to provide fresh insights into operational challenges.
Kanebi stressed the importance of domesticating codes and standards to ensure world-class operations within Nigeria’s petroleum sector.