By Christiana Ekpa
The Senate is investigating how OML 46 was illegally awarded to Halkin Exploration and Production Company Limited, by the defunct Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR), in contravention of Presidential directive.
The Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions, while interfacing with the groups involved at a public hearing on Tuesday, was informed that, after the revocation of the oil field, the presidency intervened, considered the numerous petitions from the various marginal owners and directed that the fields be rewarded on discretionary basis with preference to the previous owners, including the Atala Oil Field.
The public hearing followed a petition brought before the Senate dated the 5th October 2021, by Sir Daniel Chukwudozie, on behalf of Hardy Oil Nigeria Limited (HONL), against the DPR, for alleged breach of trust, corruption and illegal revocation of OML 46 and re-awarding same to Halkin Exploration and Production Company Limited, in breach of due process.
During the public hearing which was the third in the series, the representative of Hardy Oil, Barr. Ike Onwuchuluba, adopted its presentation dated 24th September 2021, in addition to the annexed documents which the company submitted to the Committee.
He submitted the subject matter of the petition bothered on the OML46 – Atala Marginal Oil Field and the improper way and manner the field that was formerly managed by the trio of Bayelsa Oil Company Limited (BOCL), Hardy Oil Nigeria Limited and Century Exploration and Production (CEPL) was revoked and handed over to a company in very shady and fraudulent circumstances, ipso facto, that Halkin Exploration and Production Limited invested $60,000,000 in the Atala Marginal Field and executed a Farm-In Agreement with BOCL.
In its submissions in support, the Managing Director of Bayelsa Oil Company Limited, Mr. Bello Akpoku stated that:-
“We have availed the Committee with the Memo written to the Honorable Minister of Petroleum Resources, whereby the defunct Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) stated that the field was allocated to Halkin Exploration and Production Company Limited for two principal reasons namely; that Halkin Exploration and Production Company Limited claimed to have invested $60m to the Atala Marginal Oil Field and second was the alleged acquisition of 41% share of Bayelsa Oil Company Limited shares in the Atala Marginal Oil Field”.
He maintained that “BOCL owned 51% in the Atala Marginal Field and Halkin Exploration and Production Company Limited claim to have acquired 41% of the 51% share thereby making it the largest partner owner of the field is false”.
When he was called to react to the allegations made against him and his company, the MD of Halkin Exploration and Production Company Limited, Mr. Charles Dorgu, who could not put up a defence, claimed to be sick and urged the Committee to give him two weeks extension to come up with his defence to the weighty allegations.
The visibly infuriated Senate Committee, on its part, called on the Nigeria Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) to interface with the groups involved and look into the matter critically and report back to them in two weeks.
