The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) has reiterated its commitment to meet domestic gas demands as it disclosed plans to expand and integrate gas pipeline networks in the country.
The disclosure was made by the Group Managing Director of NNPC, Mallam Mele Kyari during the just concluded 2019 Lagos International Trade Fair.
In his address, Kyari, who was represented by the Managing Director of National Engineering and Technical Company (NETCO), Kate Iheme, said that the expansion and integration of gas pipeline networks would be carried out to meet the unprecedented demand of the substance.
Kyari noted that NNPC is regarded as the chief enabler of the Nigerian economy and that there were ongoing reforms put in place to transform the traditional oil and gas entity into an integrated energy outfit with interest in power generation and transmission.
“It is common knowledge that NNPC is expanding and integrating gas pipeline network systems to meet the unprecedented domestic gas demand nationwide.
“Towards this end, significant progress has been recorded in the execution of some key on-going gas pipeline infrastructure projects like the Escravos Lagos Pipelines System (ELPs II) and the 0B3, among other gas infrastructure projects.
“Before now, the corporation had also completed the repair of the vandalised 20-inch ELPS-A pipeline, thereby ensuring gas supply to gas-fired power plants and also supply into the West African Gas Pipeline,” Kyari said.
According to Kyari, there has also been an
enhancement of the supply and distribution of petroleum products by NNPC downstream entities such as the Petroleum Products Marketing Company (PPMC), the Nigerian Pipelines and Storage Company (NPSC), NNPC Retail and NNPC Shipping.
He stated that the scarcity of petroleum products and snaky fuel queues across the country had been addressed and going forward, the corporation aims to ensure that there is a reliable fuel supply system in the country so that commuters, businesses, transporters and other stakeholders can engage in fruitful commercial endeavours without fear of fuel scarcity.