The Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National
Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Dr Maikanti Kacalla Baru, has stated that the
Federal Government has mandated the Corporation to pursue an aggressive gas
development programme to stimulate economic growth in the Country.
Dr. Baru made this disclosure on Tuesday in Lagos during a
Gas Roundtable meeting for Chief Executives and Directors levels of the oil and
gas companies organized by the Nigerian Gas Association (NGA) where he was
named the Pioneer Advisory Board Chairman of the NGA.
The GMD said the mandate was to ensure that gas
Infrastructure development is enhanced for gas supply, stressing that this was
a critical focus areas in the Federal Government’s 2016-2019 “Big Wins” for the
Oil and Gas Industry as well as in the NNPC’s 12 Key Business Focus Areas to
grow the industry.
"With the vast Oil and Gas experience entrenched in this
Advisory Board and with the passion, I, as the Pioneer Chairman of the NGA
Advisory Board have for gas development, I hereby re-dedicate myself to the
aggressive development of the Nigerian Gas Sector and commit myself and all
members of the NGA Advisory Board to do everything possible to achieve the
objectives of the Board which align perfectly with NNPC’s key business focus
area," Dr. Baru affirmed.
He noted that opportunities at the Upstream gas development
included the acquisition and operatorship of oil blocks, drilling rig leasing,
provision of engineering services, heavy equipment leasing, seismic acquisition
and processing, Engineering, Procurement, and Construction (EPC) contracting,
Fabrication of pressure vessel, running steel mills and provision of
banking/financing services, etc.
Speaking on opportunities in the midstream of the gas value
chain, Dr. Baru listed the following as areas that should interest investors:
Investment in gas processing facilities, mini Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG),
floating LNG, Gas storage facilities, EPC of over 2000km gas pipelines, EPC of
gas processing facilities, EPC of gas metering and monitoring system and
Fabrication of pipes.
According to him, downstream value chain offered
opportunities for investment in LPG bottling and marketing, Investment in gas
based industries (Fertilizer, Methanol, Petrochemicals, CNG stations and
conversion workshop), EPC of fertilizer and petrochemical plants, manufacturing
of LPG cylinders/accessories.
The NNPC GMD added that the Nigerian Gas sector remained the
largest and most vibrant in Sub-Saharan Africa with lots of potentials,
especially in the deep water and untapped gas resources.
He averred that the gas reform was anchored on a robust
strategic framework that is focused on maximum economic impact through gas,
saying that it aims to drive linkages with agriculture, manufacturing and
dispersed small enterprise through Power.
Earlier, the President of NGA, Mr. Dada Thomas, stated that
for the Nigerian economy to achieve its full potential there must be power
anchored on gas development through active private sector participation.
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