NNPC Announces Completion of OB3 Gas Pipeline, August

The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd) has announced that the Obiafu/Obrikom/Oben (OB3) gas pipeline project will be completed by August.

This was disclosed by the Group Chief Executive Officer (GCEO) of NNPC Ltd, Mele Kyari, during an inspection tour of the OB3 pipeline River Niger crossing operation at Aboh, Delta State, on Saturday.

Olufemi Soneye, the Chief Corporate Communications Officer (CCCO) of NNPC Ltd, released a statement to Tribune Online, quoting Kyari on the monumental value of the project.

According to Kyari, the project will introduce about 2.2 billion standard cubic feet of gas into Nigeria’s network, playing a crucial role in the country’s gas revolution.

“This is a major project of monumental value to our country. What this means is that this is the only way we can deliver the gas revolution.

I am very happy and convinced that, latest by the middle of August, we will complete this project. I have been assured of that by the project team,” Kyari stated.

He emphasized that the completion of this project will provide the country with the necessary capacity to meet its gas demand in the coming years.

“We will see about 2.2 billion standard cubic feet of gas coming into our network.

We believe that this will give our country a breathing space of demand, I am sure we can catch up with that kind of demand in the next one and a half years.

We are happy that this will give us the platform to unleash the gas revolution in our country,” Kyari added.

The $700 million OB3 gas pipeline project has been under construction for several years and has faced multiple delays.

Initially intended for completion in 2017, it was reported to be 80 percent complete by December 2016.

However, technical challenges such as horizontal drilling under major rivers, the COVID-19 pandemic, and changes in contractual agreements have delayed its completion.

The Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Gas), Ekperikpe Ekpo, expressed satisfaction with the current pace of work at the OB3 River Niger crossing operation, describing it as “Renewed Hope at work.” Ekpo, who visited the site last year, noted significant progress and expressed confidence in the project’s completion by August.

“I was here last year and I saw the work that was going on. There was a promise that it would be completed by December last year.

I took it with a doubt. But today, from what I can see, I am confident that by July or August it will be completed and it will be commissioned by the President,” Ekpo said.

This announcement marks a significant milestone for Nigeria’s energy sector, promising to enhance the country’s gas infrastructure and meet growing energy demands.