The Delta State Commissioner for Oil and Gas, Mr. Omamofe Pirah, has restated that in its determination fast-tracking the economy of the state, the oil and gas industry has been geared towards wealth creation, entrepreneurship and employment generation for the teeming indigenes of the state.

The Commissioner, who stated this while briefing the press at the 2012 ministerial press briefing in Asaba, said that the Ministry of Oil and Gas was established among other objectives to build a reliable database of events and activities relating to the local content and indigenisation process of the Federal Government of Nigeria for the benefit of the state and its constituents.

He said that Government had proposed the establishment of an Oil and Gas Resource Centre in Warri and Asaba, adding that plans were under way to have the first ever Delta State Oil and Gas Industry Stakeholder’s Engagement Forum that would bring together all relevant  stakeholders to brainstorm on the  way forward for the industry.

Mr. Pirah disclosed that five Oil Mining Licence (OML) that were diverted by the Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) was taken over by Nigeria Petroleum Development Company (NPDC), and urged Deltans to partner with the new investors in order to have shares in oil blocs set out for bid.

The Commissioner further disclosed that the oil company had about 77,525,099 barrels of oil between August and November 2011, saying that the cost of the loss was estimated at 7,752,509,900 dollars.