Delta State Government is to partner with Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) in the exploration of gas reserve in the state to promote industrial development and create employment for Deltans.

The State Governor, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan, who announced this when he inaugurated a 13 man working committee on Delta State Government and NNPC Gas Master plan in Asaba today said his administration was committed to ensuring that the joint team succeeded.

He explained that the state has natural gas resources and believed it can be maximized for the benefit of Deltans even as he expressed the commitment and support of the government for the success of the plan.

According to him “Gas is in the forefront of the oil industry, we are interested in gas because we will be starting our independent power plant soon. We are committed to be part of this gas business because it will be to the benefit of our people.”

In a welcome address, the Commissioner for Commerce and industry, Mr. Azuka Osakwe, said Delta State is a major stakeholder in the gas industry and welcomed the joint venture.

He called on NNPC to put in more effort to actualize the dream of building the state into an enviable height to attract gas investors to the state and assured them that the state was peaceful for development.

The Group Executive Director of NNPC, Engineer Voka Mukoro explained that the company would co-operate freely with the state government to harness the gas potentials in the state for economic development.

He commended the Governor for the peace existing in the State which was as a result of the great role he played in the amnesty plan and promised that the dream of NNPC in developing the state would be achieved as quickly as possible.

In an overview presentation of the strategies drawn up on the gas master plan by NNPC, the Group General Manager Upstream, Engineer David lge explained that NNPC is focused on harnessing the gas potentials of the state for economic development of the state.

He noted that NNPC would develop a master plan to be presented to investors to attract them to the state, putting the necessary framework in place.

His words “We will develop the industrial blue print, the marketing package, the security plan of the state to the investors to persuade them to invest in the state.”

Engr. Ige said it was the responsibility of the company to crate awareness of stakeholders in the state on the NNPC strategies and intimate them on where their assistance would be needed for the plan to succeed.

The working committee members from the state government team include: The Commissioner for Commerce and industry (Chairman) Commissioner for Energy, Environment, Finance, Lands and Survey.

Others are the Economic Adviser to the Governor, the Special Adviser to the governor on Gas and Oil, the Chairman Delta State integrated Development Programme and six members from the NNPC team.