Petroleum minister pledges partnership with NIPetE

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

Prisca Kanebi, the National Chairman of NIPetE, said this in a statement on Saturday after a visit by the institute’s delegation to the minister in Abuja.

Kanebi extended an official invitation to the minister for the institute’s third annual conference, scheduled for Oct. 31 and Nov. 1 at the Abuja Continental Hotel.

She outlined NIPetE’s goals, which include fostering collaboration between industry and academia in petroleum engineering, acting as a watchdog for educational and professional practices.

Also, encouraging major industry operators to sponsor training equipment and laboratories at universities.

She 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 also stressed the importance of domesticating codes and standards to ensure world-class operations within Nigeria’s petroleum sector.

In response, Lokpobiri reiterated the ministry’s commitment to collaborating with NIPetE in key areas.

These include capacity building in universities as well as enhancing professional practices to boost and sustain oil production in Nigeria.

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

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

He promised to attend the upcoming NIPetE conference and proposed establishing a collaborative agenda, to be reviewed quarterly, to guide their partnership moving forward.