The Deputy Senate President, Senator Ibrahim Mantu has commended the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) transformation programme, Project PACE. Mantu made the commendation during the signing of a crude oil agreement between Petrochina and NNPC recently in Abuja.

Mantu said Nigeria has a lot of benefit technologically from China. He observed that this will open more doors to accommodate new people who will add value to what NNPC is doing.

The NNPC Group Executive Director, Refining and Petrochemicals, Engineer Abubakar Yar'Adua, who represented the Group Managing Director, Engineer Funsho Kupolokun said the signing of the agreement is a good thing and an opportunity to lean more from China.
Petrochina, one of China's oil companies with refineries and filling stations and an office in London owned by the Chinese government, is the second Chinese company to sign a crude oil deal with the NNPC.

Dr. Edmund Daukoru, the Honourable Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, who was also present, said the agreement has brought to the fore the realization of a journey that started last year.

Daukoru said this was the first step taken to realize the vision of cooperation between the two countries in crude oil and power generation.

Also speaking at the signing ceremony, the Chinese ambassador to Nigeria, who accomplished the trade mission said China is not only interested in the upstream sector but also the downstream sector including the refineries.

The ambassador said beside crude oil, China would also want to import agricultural products from Nigeria. He declared that the signing of this contract is just the beginning of good things to happen.

The contract worth 800 million dollars, covers 30,000 barrels per day and it is for one year.

The occasion was witnessed by delegates of Petrochina and staff of NNPC.