By the OGJ Online Staff
ABUJA, Jan. 17 -- Nigerian Petroleum Development Co. has been removed from the list of companies slated for privatization, said the group managing director of NPDC parent Nigerian National Petroleum Corp., quoted by the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries' news agency.
"The chairman of the National Council on Privatization, Vice-Pres. Atiku Abubakar, has approved the removal of the NPDC from those subsidiaries slated for sale," said Jackson Gaius-Obaseki.
He said NPDC was using its expertise to survive and meet the expectations of its parent company.
Gaius-Obaseki advised the staff of the company not to be concerned by privatization rumors and urged them to put more efforts into strengthening the firm's activities and aiming for higher achievements.
NPDC, in collaboration with ENI SPA unit Agip Energy & Natural Resources, recently began oil production at Okono oil field on license 119 (OGJ Online, Jan. 2, 2001).
NPDC became the oil and gas exploration and production subsidiary of the NNPC in 1998.
