FG, NNPC Committed To Gas-Based Industrialisation

The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) said it was committed to pursuing the federal government’s aspiration of aggressively deploying the nation’s vast gas resources for economic growth.

A release today in Abuja by the corporation’s group general manager, Group Public Affairs Division, Mr. Ndu Ughamadu, said the NNPC’s group managing director, Dr. Maikanti Baru, disclosed this while commissioning a $60m Egbeoma Gas Processing Plant in Ebedei community, Ukwuani local government of Delta State, Thursday.

“NNPC is committed to the federal government’s aspirations as expressed in the gas policy, environmental policy and domestic gas utilisation policy,” Baru stated.

Some of the targets under the various government policies, Baru observed, include the effective monetisation of the nation’s vast gas resources for sustainable economic growth and a complete end to gas flaring.

In particular, GMD said the Corporation was pursuing aggressive growth in domestic gas supply capacity from the current 1.7bscfd to 5bscfd in the medium- term, a growth which he explained, would come from the seven critical gas development projects.

According to him, aside the gas supply growth, the NNPC was equally committed to the expansion of gas pipeline infrastructure network system.

“This expansion includes the Obiafu-Obrikom-Oben (OB3) gas pipeline which is less than 5km to Egbeoma Gas Plant and can serve as a major evacuation artery of the dry gas produced from the plant to the market,” he added.
While congratulating PNG Gas Ltd, operators of the Egbeoma Gas Plant, Baru noted that the development fitted squarely into the federal government’s gas aspiration of using gas as an enabler for energy independence, industrial development, commerce and environmental and social sustainability.

He also described the achievement as a no mean feat, adding that the conceptualisation and actualisation of the gas plant project dream had reinforced NNPC’s confidence in the potentials of Nigerian indigenous companies.

The GMD urged operators whose assets were close to the plant and the OB3 pipeline to seize the opportunity by collaborating with PNG Gas Limited to supply gas to maximise the plant’s capacity, access and commercialise all existing flares and further develop the significant gas reserves of 1Tcf of gas in the area.

Earlier in his address, promoter of the Egbeoma Gas Plant project, Engr. Charles Osezua, said the plant represented the success story of Nigerian engineering.

“Our dream is to help realise the federal government’s drive of building a gas hub in this area by processing 150mmscfd of gas which will not only generate power but also support the growth of the nation’s economy,” Osezua stated.

He said as an industry leader, NNPC had a major role to play in galvanising and bringing together the nation’s gas producers with a view to creating a gas hub in the country.

He noted that since inception in 2016, the plant had been running at 97 per cent of installed capacity with a stellar safety record of about 1.5million man hours of operation without loss time injury (LTI).