The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited has said that the country’s gas infrastructure network can transport up to 6.9 billion standard cubic feet of gas, which can support power generation and gas-based industries.
Accoding to The Punch, the Group Chief Executive Officer of NNPC Ltd, Mele Kyari, disclosed this at the 2023 edition of the Oloibiri Lecture Series and Energy Forum in Abuja.
The Society of Petroleum Engineers organised the forum, which had its theme as “Effective Gas Resources Utilisation: A Lever for Enhancing Energy Security and Achieving Net-Zero Emission Goals in Nigeria”.
During this event, he stated that the investment in gas infrastructure is tied to Nigeria’s natural gas reserves, which support the nation’s aspiration to create Africa’s largest industrial hub.
Kyari also revealed that the NNPC Ltd. is taking advantage of Nigeria’s vast natural gas reserves, which could grow to 600 TCF due to increased investment after resolving the Production Sharing Contract disputes.
The reserves would serve as a low-carbon energy alternative, which would create more employment opportunities, reduce carbon footprint, address energy poverty, and support growth in power and industrial sectors.
In the CEO’s statement, “NNPC is playing a leading role in the realisation of the National Gas Expansion Programme, which seeks to deepen natural gas utilisation as an alternative transportation fuel, and an important feedstock for gas-based industries development.
“We are working assiduously to ensure timely delivery of gas pipeline infrastructure projects, including the Abuja-Kaduna-Kano gas pipeline corridor, planned Nigeria-Morocco and Trans-Sahara Gas Pipelines, that will connect West African countries to deliver natural gas to international markets ”
The Nigeria Liquified Natural Gas Train Seven is ongoing and will expand Nigeria’s LNG production capacity from 22 million tons per annum to about 30 MTPA.
NNPC is deploying carbon-reduction initiatives to gradually decarbonise its operations and improve compliance with global emission reduction. It aims to pursue commercially viable new energy ventures in line with Nigeria’s net-zero aspiration by 2060.
“As part of our sustainability strategy, NNPC is deploying carbon-reduction initiatives to gradually decarbonise our operations and improve our compliance with global emission reduction.
“All of these cannot be achieved if we do not have the security of our operations. We will continue to further deepen collaboration amongst all the relevant stakeholders; government security agencies, host communities and others to enhance energy security.
“NNPC will deepen relationships with the industry, governments, research institutions and the academia to strengthen its renewable energy division to pursue commercially viable new energy ventures in line with Nigeria’s net-zero aspiration by 2060,” he said
The CEO of the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission, Gbenga Komolafe, in his address said providing clean, sustainable, and affordable energy is a critical challenge.
Komolafe who was represented by Dr Nuhu Habib, Executive Commissioner, Production and Development, NUPRC, said he is committed to ensuring access to enabling environment and regulatory frameworks for progressive investments in gas production and energy transition achievement.
The CEO of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority,
Farouk Ahmed, urged the concerted efforts of all levels of government to guarantee energy security.
