Bayelsa Oil Company Ltd (BOCL) has faulted a media report, which claimed that the Federal Government has awarded its oilfield, Atala Field (OML 46), to new investors.
In a statement, the company and its Joint Venture Partners, which included Hardy Oil Nigeria Limited and Century Exploration Company Limited, described the publication in a national daily (not The Guardian) on Tuesday, June 29, 2021, as patently false and misleading.
“The management of BOCL, on behalf of itself and the JV Partners of Atala Marginal Field in OML46, wishes to bring to the notice of the general public and the Ijaw nation in particular, that the information in the publication is patently false, misleading and laced with criminal intent by the sponsors of the publication,” the statement noted.
The statement, signed by Bello Akpoku on behalf of the management of the firm, pointed out that, “the referenced publication was based on a letter written by Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) on the 28th of February, 2021, with reference number DPR/1160/A/Vol.11/144 to the Minister of State, Petroleum Resources, seeking the Minister’s approval for DPR to assign the Atala Marginal Field (in OML46) to Halkin Exploration and Production Limited (Halkin).”
It explained that “this process has since been challenged and brought to a halt by the Bayelsa State government through the management of BOCL that wrote protest letters, by itself and on behalf of its Joint Venture Partners, to DPR, putting in copy: – The Presidency, the Attorney General of the Federation, the President of the Ijaw National Congress (INC) and a host of others.”
Continuing, the firm said: “The mislading publication stated that Halkin in 2019 received the approval of the Board of BOCL to farm-in 41 per cent of the field through a Farm-in Agreement and Field Management Service Agreement with BOCL. That claim is not true, and if there is any Board approval from BOCL or execution of a Field Services Agreement, we made bold to say that the same must have been forged and/or contrived with the intent to mislead DPR into awarding the field to Halkin, as no such agreement exists between BOCL and Halkin or at all.”
“The general public should please note that Atala Marginal Field (OML 46) was not awarded to Halkin as falsely portrayed. The events of the last few weeks are all attempts to fraudulently mislead and deceive DPR, the Hon. Minister of State for Petroleum and our dear Mr. President into awarding the Atala Marginal Field to them on the basis of some fake and fictitious agreements being paraded by some former management staff of BOCL, who are currently the management staff of Halkin.”
