Bayelsa State Governor, Douye Diri, today, at the State Executive Council Meetingin Yenagoa, called on the Federal Government, to return the state owned Atala marginal oil field a pride asset, back to the State Government.
Governor. Diri, made emphatic clarifications on the state’s position about its Atala oil marginal field (OML 46), which licence was revoked by the federal government through the Department of Petroleum Resources in April 2020.
“There has been this issue on the Bayelsa State owned Atala Oil Field, and we tried to manage the issue because we needed to have all the information and all that led to the revocation of our State owned asset. Bayelsans are emotionally and sentimentality attached to that asset, that is the only oil asset that Bayelsa State owns, even though it was a marginal Oil Field, and it was a surprise and huge shock to us as a government, that the asset was revoked.
However, there has been some history behind the Oil Field that was not been palatable from successive government. What I have done is to state clearly, the position we have taken. Our position is that, that revocation should be cancelled. I use this opportunity to call on all who are concerned on the Atala Oil Field, DPR, Ministries, NNPC and indeed our own son, the Minister of State, Petroleum Resources to do all that is within their powers to ensure that the Atala Oil Field is returned to Bayelsa State.
