FG urged to restore Atala marginal oil fields to Bayelsa

Relevant federal government agencies in the oil sector have been urged to implement a Senate’s resolution to return Atala Marginal Fields to Bayelsa State.

The member representing Sagbama/Ekremor Federal Constituency of Bayelsa State in the House of Representatives, Fred Agbedi (PDP, Bayelsa) made the call while addressing journalists at the National Assembly yesterday.

He also called for the prosecution of the oil company operating the marginal fields because it allegedly acquired the fields fraudulently adding that the allocation of the oil bloc to the private company in 2021 was an injustice to the people.

Agbedi said the Atala Marginal Field was allocated to Bayelsa State government and was managed by Bayelsa Oil Company. 

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FG urged to restore Atala marginal oil fields to Bayelsa

He however informed that, sometime in 2021, they got to know that Atala Marginal Fields had been reallocated to another company. 

He said, “Bayelsa and the Ijaw nation and my federal constituency rose in protest against it. Mr President some time ago also ordered that 10 of such marginal fields that were allocated to the states, should be returned back to the states. Nine were returned. 

“Only Bayelsa Atala Farms was not returned and this was what caused the Bayelsa government, the Bayelsa Oil Company and our investors to petition to the Senate Committee on Petition and Ethics. 

“Even within the hearing period, Mr President further ordered that these blocs be returned to the Bayelsa State government, the owners of the oil bloc. 

“This had not happened until the Senate finally, last week had resolved through proper investigation and hearings found out that all the issues canvassed as to purchase, as to sales, and as to ownership by the new company, Halkin Oil was fraudulent.”

The lawmaker described the issue of the Atala field dispute as a sore narrative in the history of the oil industry in Nigeria.