OREANDA-NEWS. May 12, 2012. The Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) Engineer Austen Oniwon says the corporation will strengthen its partnership with the oil majors to exploit and produce more hydrocarbon resources for the common good of both parties.

"We will continue to invest and re-invest in the exploitation and production of more hydrocarbon resources with our Joint Venture partners in Nigeria in the interest of all parties," the GMD noted while receiving the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of TOTAL, Christophe de Margerie who paid a courtesy call on him.

The GMD expressed optimism that government was interested in providing more incentives in the exploitation and production of hydrocarbon resources in the deep offshore in Nigeria.

He praised the Joint venture partners for their faith in Nigeria and enjoined them to be more faithful in their activities in the country regardless of the challenges there-in.

Speaking earlier, de Margerie said he was in the country for the launching of the 180, 000 barrels per day USAN platform located in the deep offshore Niger-Delta.
He described USAN platform as a key milestone for TOTAL which its team worked-on round the clock to add to the nation’s crude reserves.

"We appreciate our relationship with the NNPC and we will continue to rely on your support to add value to the Nigeria’s oil and gas industry," the Chairman and CEO stated.

De Margerie was accompanied by senior executives of TOTAL worldwide.