By Yemie Adeoye
CALABAR: FOLLOWING the smooth passage of the Nigerian Content Act the Federal Government appears set to conduct the next marginal field allocation programme to indigenous exploration and production companies in Nigeria.

This move is targeted at ensuring full indigenous participation in the oil exploration business and indigenous operators were advised to start putting their bid packages together in readiness for the rounds.

This comes as indications become clear that the disputed Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) is set for passage following harmonization of contributions and resolution of issues between the government and multinational operators in the industry.

Presidential Adviser on Petroleum Matters, Dr. Emmanuel Egbogah, who made the clarifications in Calabar, Cross River State, said that the next marginal field allocation programme for the indigenous companies was imminent.
His comments came as the Cross Rivers State Governor, Senator Liyel Imoke, said his government was working to provide congenial business environment for the operations of companies in the energy sector of the economy.

Dr. Egbogah and Governor Imoke spoke at the 2010 Nigeria Annual International Conference and Exhibition (NAICE) of the Nigerian Council of Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE) holding at the TINAPA Business Resort.

According to Dr. Egbogah, government was compiling the list of available marginal field s in the country for the event the date of which, he said, remains uncertain. He however made it clear that the exercise would kick off as soon as the number of fields to given out has been determined.

He ruled out the possibility of conducting a full scale bid round for oil blocks in the year, citing comments by the Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs Diezani Alisson-Madueke.

He gave assurances that marginal fields would be given out in the year just as the indigenous players in the industry expect activation of the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content (NOGIC) Act 2010.

On the PIB, Dr. Egboga said the work has been concluded on the bill and that the new law would emerge as soon as the National Assembly returned from recess.

He said passage of the bill was made smoother by resolution of disputes over the fiscal propositions initially contained in the bill.

“Issues disputed in the PIB have been resolve to every one’s satisfaction,” he declared, adding that “the National Assembly has finished its work and has concluded harmonization of impute from the two chambers.”

Meanwhile, Governor Imoke said his government was building a business haven for players in the energy sector of the economy to enable them yield positive impact in the economy of the state, the Niger Delta region and the country.

The industry enclave, he said, was conceived under the state’s Energy City project which would be an industrial cluster created exclusively for investors in the energy sector of the economy.

He said the state’s government was partnering private investors to develop a befitting investment environment with full facilities and reliable infrastructure to support businesses of the oil and gas industry in the country.

He challenged the industry to derive more values from the nation’s natural gas resources and also queue into the global trend towards alternative energy sources by exploring opportunities in no fossil sources.

He assured investors that peace and calm have returned in the Niger Delta, boasting that Cross River State offers the cleanest, most peaceful and congenial environment for all business activities in the country.