The Nation Newspaper

Category: Energy

  • ATOMEXPO: Nigeria needs to invest in nuclear technology

    As Nigeria seeks permanent solutions to its current power sector crisis, experts at the recently concluded Atomic Energy Exhibition (ATOMEXPO) in Sochi, Russia, recommend nuclear energy adoption as a way forward. AKINOLA AJIBADE writes.

    EXPERTS in the energy sector have advised Nigeria to embrace nuclear energy technology, with a view to solve its energy problems. They added that the country would more than double its electricity generation, once the technology is rightly deployed. According to them, electricity megawatts (Mw) required by Nigeria is huge and can be accessed through the use of the technology.

    The experts are among the 3,600 delegates from 74 countries, which attended the two-day-forum tagged: x1 International Forum and Atomexpo 2019 in Russia.

    According to them, one gigawatt of electricity will equal 1,000 megawatts, adding that Nigeria will be able to produce at least two gigawatts of electricity, once the country invest substantially in nuclear energy.

    Nuclear energy technology, they said, is multi-dimensional in nature as it could be deployed to improve a lot of activities in the economy. They advise developed and developing countries to embrace the technology for growth.

    A delegate and Director-General, ROSATOM, Alexey Likhachev, said nuclear energy technology is the way forward. He urged countries to tap into the opportunities offered by the technology by using it to engender growth in other sectors of the economy aside power.

     

    Nigeria’s power sector

    This sector requires improvement as it generates less than 5,000Mw of electricity, a figure barely not enough to galvanise the growth of the economy. The figure represents the volume of electricity  in use in the country as different from 2,000 megawatts of electricity, which the Federal Government through the Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Mr Babatunde Fashola, claimed in a recent stakeholders’ forum in Lagos, that they are stranded and as such cannot be useful for the country.

    Likhachev, in his opening remarks, urged Nigeria to embrace the technology in order to encourage the growth of the power sector. He advised delegates to use the technology to achieve the world’s sustainable development goals.

    Power, he said, is key to the realisation of the aims and goals of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, stressing that Nigeria and other countries seeking to improve their energy needs should try and embrace the technology for growth.

    Likhachev said: “Nuclear energy, also known as atomic energy, comes from splitting atoms in a reactor to heat water into steam, turn a turbine and generate electricity. Given that reactors in nuclear power plants use uranium, the technology does not produce dangerous carbon emission such as those produced by fossils fuels such as coal power plants. Nuclear generation can work for years with less dependence on raw materials and fuel.”

    He added that each area of human activity is affected by the achievement of nuclear industry, hence the need for the adoption of nuclear energy technology by countries, which need growth in key areas of human endeavours.

    Also, India Atomic Energy Commission’s Chairman, Kamlesh Nilkanth Vyas, said nuclear energy technology is the way out of the problems facing developed and developing economies. He said India has grown its power sector tremendously by building 22 nuclear power stations, adding that the country is planning to build 10 more nuclear power stations to increase its energy capacity.

     

    Agriculture

    Nigeria, an agrarian economy, needs the technology to improve the quality of its farm produce. With the country depending on agricultural products for survival and exporting some, preservation of the quality of the products is required for growth.

    According to Vyas,  India relies on nuclear energy technology to preserve its agricultural produce, urging countries to do the same thing. He said the technology has enhanced the quality of the mangoes and other products being exported as they are free from germs.

     

    Healthcare delivery

    system

    The nuclear energy technology helps in electricity generation and assists in cancer treatment among other diseases, says Vyas. He said the technology helps in treating many deadly diseases, if they are rightly used, advising scientists to conduct research on the technology.

    He said there is the fear of using the technology because of  its deadly effects when poorly handled or in case of accidents, which has brought about the reluctance to adopt it.

    Vyas said radiation is one of the biggest fears people have when it comes to nuclear energy technology, but the gains from the technology, according to him, outweigh the fears.

    “There are fears of using the technology due to its deadly effects when poorly handled or in case of accidents, that reluctance to adopt it needs to stop. When it comes to nuclear energy, there is fear of the unknown. Fear for radiation is the biggest challenge. But the gains from the use of technology make it easy for people to see the benefits,” he added.

     

    Medicine

    A former Director, International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEE), Hnas Blix, said the body is helping to foster the use of cancer diagnosis and therapy through nuclear means in developing nations such as Cuba, Tanzania, Ghana and Nicaragua.  Other measures, he said, include providing a forum for discussing effects of low level radiation caused by the use of nuclear technology.

     

    Food irradiation

    He said studies have shown that irradiation technology is gaining more attention as it helps in preserving food globally. Health and safety institutions in 37 countries, he said, have approved irradiation of over 40 kinds of food, ranging from spices to grains, to chicken, fruits and vegetables. Consumers, Blix said, can safely enjoy irradiated strawberries and sausage in France and Thailand respectively.

     

    Environment

    Climate change has remained one of the biggest problems facing humanity.  United Nations Summit on Climate Change had in 2009 discussed the harmful effects of climate change globally on individuals and nations in order to proffer solutions to them.

    Environmental Progress President, Micheal Shellenberger, said nuclear energy technology is an antidote to bad climatic conditions facing people around the world. Shellenberger, who spoke at the conference, said African countries, including Nigeria, are experiencing water pollution and other ecological problems, adding that nuclear power would help reduce emission of carbon dioxide, if properly managed.

    It would be recalled that Nigeria had in 2017 signed an agreement with the Russian government on how to produce nuclear energy in the country.  Similarly, Rwanda signed a co-operation agreement on the use of atomic energy with Russia in 2018.

  • Man gets six months imprisonment for vandalising equipment

    AN Igbosere Magistrate’s Court in Lagos has sentenced a 28-year-old man, Timothy Jacob, to six months imprisonment on a three-count charge of conspiracy, willful and unlawful damage and attempted theft of armored cables, belonging to Eko Electricity Distribution Company (EKEDC).

    According to EKEDC, the vandal was apprehended by Lekki Phase 1 security guards while cutting an armored cable at 21 Hopunu Wusu Street, Lekki Phase 1 on April 14, 2019 and was handed over to men of Nigeria Police Force at Mobalaji Johnson Police post in Lekki, Lagos for further interrogation and investigation.

    EKEDC General Manager, Corporate Communications, Godwin Idemudia, said Jacob confessed to committing the crimes he was accused of and named one Shedrach as his partner.  “A man buys the cables from us” the vandal also revealed. A man hunt is still ongoing for the said accomplices who are still at large.

    EKEDC spokesman said the vandal pleaded guilty to the three-count charge before MagistrateT.B Are, who sentenced him to six months imprisonment with hard labour for counts 1 and 2 respectively, three months imprisonment for count 3 all to run concurrently without the option of fine or community service.

    Idemudia reiterated the company’s zero tolerance for any form of vandalism, tampering and theft of EKEDC equipment, adding that all perpetrators of such acts will be brought to book. He extolled the efforts of security men and the police for apprehending the vandal in  good time.

    Idemudia advised the public to stay alert, beware and report suspected acts that could damage electricity installations in their communities as it will help in curbing illicit acts. He said EKEDC is out to serve customers better and provide safe and stable electricity.

  • Mojec, banks collaborate on meter provision for customers

    As the date for the take off of the Meter Asset Provider (MAP) scheme draws nearer, Mojec Meter Assets Management Company, a subsidiary of Mojec International Limited, and also one of the selected MAP operators, is partnering some banks to ease the roll out of meters to customers next month.

    Mojec with the banks – FirstBank, Wema Bank, Unity Bank, Keystone Bank, Zenith Bank, Sterling Bank, Polaris Bank and First Option Micro Finance Bank – entered into a deal to provide retail financing to electricity customers to ease their acquisition of prepaid meters.

    The banks will provide finance to customers within the coverage area of Mojec’s partner-electricity distribution companies (DisCos) across the country. The banks, this week, signed memoranda of understanding (MoU) with Mojec in Lagos.

    MAP is a scheme that was initiated by the Ministry of Power, Works and Housing and approved by the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC).

    The MAPs will provide, install and maintain customers’ meters and fast-track the closure of the metering gap, which is five million and  end estimated billing.

    According to the regulation guiding MAP operation, a MAP must install a customer’s meter within 10 days of payment for such meter and the operators of the scheme must meter unmetered electricity users in Nigeria within three years from the time they strart work next month.

    Mojec International Limited Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Ms. Chantelle Abdul, said at a summit of the partnering banks and DisCos in Lagos that the company is determined to bridge the metering gap in the sector by ensuring provision of top quality electricity meters to customers in Nigeria.

    Abdul said: “Now that MAP is here, Mojec is once again blazing the trail in the provision of high-end quality prepaid meters to customers, helping to reduce the financial burden estimated billing is putting on electricity consumers. Mojec as a company has invested a lot of resources positioning it as best suited to meet the metering needs of all customers within the coverage of its partner DisCos.

    “Mojec would be partnering eight DisCos, including, Ikeja Electric, Eko DsCo, Abuja DisCo, Kano DisCo, Enugu DisCo, Jos DisCo, Ibadan DisCo and Kaduna DisCo, covering about 20 states of the federation.”

    The General Manager, Finance and Management Services, NERC, Abdulkadir Shettima, commended Mojec for its leadership in the metering subsector as demonstrated by its efforts towards the full scale implementation of the MAP scheme, which allows customers easy and direct access to meter assets.

    “This MoU signing between Mojec and these banks as well as the announcement of the company’s readiness to implement the MAP scheme is very commendable. It goes to show that Mojec is a real leader in this business and it is committed to industry’s mission of ensuring that every household in this country is metered.”

    Polaris Bank Chief Executive Officer Tokunbo Abiru explained that the bank was pleased to partner with Mojec by providing financing support to customers on the meter acquisition scheme. “Our bank is glad to be facilitating the acquisition of these meters by granting loans to eligible customers under the programme,” he said.

    Keystone Bank Acting Chief Executive Officer, Abubakar Sule, explained: “Energy cost is by all standards the major cost line in most homes and businesses. The scheme is set to eradicate the unnecessary prevalence of estimated billing, which deprived the national economy of funds which otherwise could be deployed into other productive use. We are, therefore, excited to be part of this initiative to bring electricity to homes and businesses at the most prudent cost, putting households and business in control of their expenditure pattern.”

    The Managing Director Unity Bank Plc, Tomi Somefun, explained that the development reinforces the long-standing beneficial relationship and business commitment it had maintained with Mojec International Limited for well over two decades, adding: “The partnership will create beneficial impact on electricity customers, further drive financial inclusion through consumer banking, restore customer’s confidence, increase transparency and thereby replacing the opaque estimated billing system that had prevailed.”

    The Divisional Head, Retail and Consumer Banking, Sterling Bank, Shina Atilola, represented by Ayodele Odulaja, Head of Power and Telecoms Team, stated: “We are excited to be a key driver of the pre-paid meter acquisition programme, which will eliminate the inefficiencies associated with estimated billing and inaccurate post-paid meter readings. Leveraging technology, Sterling Bank is reputed for providing Nigerians with a convenient way to access loans ranging from N10,000 to N5million in five minutes through the Specta online lending platform.

    ‘’Electricity consumers will benefit from the speed of this solution under this partnership without the attendant delays of traditional lending.”

    The Managing Director, Wema Bank, Ademola Adebise, noted that the partnership with Mojec is a proof of the bank’s commitment to provide simple and easy retail financing for Nigerians. ‘’As a bank that takes pride in applying innovative solutions to societal challenges, we are proud and excited to work with Mojec in meeting the demands of equitable electricity metering in the country. This is a reflection of our can’t stop, won’t stop drive to create avenues that will support Nigerians to achieve their future dreams today,” he said.

    The Managing Director, First Option Micro Finance Bank, Godfrey Ogbuehi, stated: “The MAP project resonates so much with the company’s goal of enhancing lives and in response, a new product,  Light-Up Loan (Prepaid Meter Acquisition Loan), has been  strategically   created   to   provide   funding   to   help   energy   consumers   (both individual  and businesses), especially  the  low-  income  earners and  rural  dwellers; acquire prepaid meters with ease under the Meter Asset Provider Regulations.”

  • Axxela, NGMC joint mini-LNG project get purchase order

    The Gas Aggregation Company of Nigeria (GACN) has given a gas purchase order (GPO) to the Nigerian Gas Marketing Company (NGMC) for the development of a joint mini-liquefied natural gas (LNG) plant in Ajaokuta, Kogi State, with Transit Gas Nigeria Limited, a subsidiary of Axxela Limited.

    With gas supply assured, the project considered as a milestone, will help commercial and industrial businesses across Nigeria adopt the LNG solution for their power and process needs and achieve over 40 per cent in cost-savings compared to alternative fuels.

    The liquefaction plant is located in the middle of the country to enable easy access of the LNG trucks to the north’s stranded gas market and other parts of the country.

    LNG storage facilities will also be installed at customer locations to ensure continuous gas supply.

    Natural gas is an environmentally friendly fuel that burns cleaner than other fossil fuels. Gas-fired equipment are more efficient and have significantly contributed to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions across the world. The LNG plant is expected to be completed by next year and will boost the productivity of existing industries, attract new investments into the country, and also create jobs for Nigeria’s growing populace.

    In 2017, Axxela’s Managing Director, Mr. Bolaji Osunsanya, when the company was known as Oando Gas and Power (OGP), said the project would be implemented as joint venture with the Nigerian Gas Company (NGC), which has been split into two – the Nigerian Gas Processing and Transmission Company (NGPTC) and the Nigerian Gas Marketing Company (NGMC).

    According to Osunsanya, the mini- LNG plant will be liquefying 20 million standard cubic feet per day (mmscf/d) of gas. He told The Nation in Abuja that the essence of building the Ajaokuta mini-LNG is to create other ways of bring natural gas to industrial and commercial concerns because pipeline vandalism was taking a toll on their operations.

    He said: “OGP is developing LNG facility via its newly-created Transit Gas Nigeria Limited (TGNL) subsidiary in partnership with Nigerian Gas Company (NGC). The facility aims at meeting the gas supply requirements for captive power plants, embedded generation, and industrial clusters in the Northern region, as well as stranded customers in the South, adding that the firm has developed over 260km of gas pipeline distribution network, and pioneered the development of gas infrastructure and solutions across the south.

    According to him, the company is increasing gas sales levels, complete and inaugurate Greater Lagos 4 (GL4) project and the Central Horizon Gas Company (CHGC) expansion as well as regional expansion opportunities into Benin, Togo, Ghana, and Senegal.

    Osunsanya said the firm’s five critical flanks were to ensure gas supply security, develop virtual pipelines asset stable and gas processing infrastructure and expansion of last mile distribution infrastructure with focus on regional growth, among others.

  • ‘Renewable energy ‘ll aid access to regular power supply’

    Bill Lenihan is the Chief Executive Officer, Zola Electric, an American renewable energy firm. In this interview, he explains the need to apply renewable energy, which is becoming a major alternative energy source, to address the problem of access to regular energy supply in Nigeria. He also talks about the unique solution the company is bringing to Nigerians to ensure a 24-hour reliable power supply. EMEKA UGWUANYI reports.

    What is Zola Electric bringing into the country and what are the implications of your entry into the market?

    I think the problem is that there is not enough production and distribution of power for the populace. I think Nigeria is a perfect example of a country where there is massive energy deficit. This is a fact that cannot be disputed. Everybody living in Nigeria has this issue; every business has it. So, the question is what happens when people are having problem with energy or what happens where that exists? It means people have to come up with their own energy. It means if you are a household, you are probably buying kerosene to light up a lantern or you get solar battery to attend to your power need, but if you are urban, you are either thinking of buying diesel generator or a lead acid inverter system. Unfortunately, this is not the case with developed markets where everything works. Take for instance, in United States, I don’t produce my energy. For those living in Nigeria, what that means is that each one has to figure it out by itself. Overall, it shows there is a mess which ought to be addressed. Beside this mess, the energy crisis also forces you to change appliances constantly or sometimes force you to do an upgrade. Beyond that, you also have these alternative sources causing health hazard and noise pollution. In a nutshell, I would say that you have a system that is unreliable, expensive and hard on your life. So, for us, that is the problem we have come to solve.

    How do we solve these problems?

    That is why we are offering products, such as Infinity and Flex, to address the problem. At Zola Electric, our mission is to deliver 24- hour power to anyone, anywhere. Our product offerings allow us to do that and these products are tied towards meeting that needs. If your energy needs are more limited, which means you just want to power bulbs in your house, or power your television and other small appliances, we have a system that is built for that purpose. This system has been designed to provide solar storage that looks like computer such that the computer allows you to optimise production and discharge system. With such solution which has something similar to a computer attached to it, you can actually pay over the phone or through refinancing. Let me also add that the product is more marginal. Whenever you need more energy, the product allows you to get more energy without affecting the existing system which is different from what you have in the market today. If you want to generate more power, the solution can help you. It is smart and comes at low cost. If your energy needs are more powerful, say you run a business or factory,  even though you have small power needs but rely on the grid, there is a product designed for that purpose and it is called Infinity which better serves that need. Only recently, we announced that we would be bringing the product into the market. Now, think of Infinity like a smart grid in the home. It is a product that is also connected to all other energy sources; it is connected to the grid, connected to e-solar. The first thing it does is that it optimises the ecosystem to deliver 24-hour power at reliable low cost. How does it work? It does it in a subtle way. What it does is that it optimises your accessories such that you get 24 hour power in an affordable way. Also, it is modular. As soon as you need more energy, you get it and it is done in a very seamless fashion that is cost-effective. Here, existing system stay intact; you are not changing it. It is a system that allows you to manage power usage using your phone app. It allows you to manage your energy provision in a very simple way on your phone. You can make it smarter so that it optimises better. You can pay for it using your phone and we would offer that service under a five-year service agreement. Within the five years, if there are any issues, we would fix it for you. From Flex to Infinity in emerging markets like Nigeria, we are offering a primary power source, unlike what you have presently where everything you do to get power involves back-up which is unreliable and expensive. Our products are more reliable, cheaper and easy to use. For us, we believe that is the best way to solve the problem of energy access in Nigeria.

    Solar is not new in Nigerian market but one of the issues with deploying solar has to do with storage.

    Let me clarify that this is not solar, but a smart power solution. Solar is a component. The solution only has a smart battery for solar. It is not Tesla Power wall because Tesla Power wall is a back-up solution or system. It backs up your home. Our product is different because it is a solution provided to manage your home. It manages all your energy sources and optimises them such that you are able to get 24-hour power from any source in a reliable and affordable way. Tesla Power wall is built for United States  and other western markets such as Europe and Australia but these products are built for Nigeria. Our smart battery will work with other solar panels. But I think the challenge with most batteries used with other panels is that it does not last long. I need to state that most of these batteries are not built for solar energy in the home but built for automobile and other uses. That is where the difference comes in. We have five-year service agreement, and our panel is going to last at least 12 years. Our battery is durable for seven to nine years. We have an obligation to replace those components within that service agreement. We are offering a solution that has not been witnessed in this market before.

    In your interaction with CNN, you said when you were developing the products, you had Lagos in mind, what informs that and why are you interested in the Lagos market?

    Lagos, like Nigeria, is the epicentre of the energy access crisis across the globe. There is not one person, or business in Nigeria that is not confronted with this crisis. Unfortunately, Lagos is one large city that has suffered much energy crisis, considering its huge location of businesses and massive population. With what is on ground, the problem is only going to get worse. We talked about Nigeria for a number of years in every of our board meetings. In the last two or three years, we have been asking what do we do about Nigeria. We were never ready to provide products that we can tailor towards Nigeria until we came up with Infinity. Also, we never had a business model that is built towards Nigeria.  But in the last two years, we have placed our focus on what the problem is in Nigeria as far as energy access crisis is concerned. Our focus on Lagos was not only because it is huge and urban but we realised that it is a city that harbours every type of person, business. So, if you are really going to solve the energy problem holistically, Lagos is a place to start with.

    Why chose Lagos when three- quarters of people living outside Lagos do not have access to electricity? What is the capacity and cost of these solutions in terms of megawatt?

    I think you are right by saying that Lagos still has better access to power compared with other states in Nigeria. But let me say that because you are connected to the grid does not mean you have reliable energy source. We view Lagos as a market opportunity for us because everybody there has some form of energy challenge. So, for us, how we launch in other parts of Africa where we have presence is the same way in which we would launch across Nigeria. We are kick-starting in Lagos and thereafter, we would broaden our presence in Nigeria. We would launch in Lagos and have some centres that would allow us to sell to you whatever your need is, wherever you are. Nigeria is a massive market. Lagos is a massive market. We start from regions and you grow from there. Take, for instance, Tanzania; we started from the capital city and moved to the regions and that is the strategy we would be adopting in Nigeria. Let me correct the notion that that there are similar solutions being offered in Nigeria. I don’t think there is any one that offers our kind of solution. Currently, what we have in Nigeria is a situation whereby some companies provide solar panel with battery but I don’t think there is anyone that offers our solution. In this case, you can buy solar or battery but you cannot buy a solution. In the solution we are providing, you are buying a primary energy source that can manage your ecosystem as far as energy is concerned. It is marginal and can grow with you. It is smart, connected and reliable. This is what differentiates these products in Nigeria’s marketplace. With respect to the question on capacity, I think there is a reason why it is called infinity. It is modular and scalable. You can expand it to whatever you want to.

  • Shell spends N150m on Bonny youths’ capacity devt

    No fewer than 12 young entrepreneurs from host communities of Bonny Oil and Gas Terminal in Rivers State have benefitted from N150 million capacity development and empowerment programme by the Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria Limited (SPDC).

    SPDC’s General Manager, External Relations, Igo Weli, who handed over the service entry and final settlement to the beneficiaries in Port Harcourt, described the initiative as a product of continuous effort by SPDC and its joint venture partners to empower youths, promote Nigerian content and support community participation in Nigeria’s oil and gas value chain.

    Weli said: “Developing local skills, talent and contracting capacity in the Nigerian oil and gas industry are very important to SPDC and its partners. That is why we have continued to embark on programmes and projects that have sustainable impact on our host communities and the Nigerian economy.

    “This is a demonstration of how much benefit a conducive business environment and cordial relationship between host communities and industry players can bring to the people.”

    Weli commended the beneficiaries for their industry and determination to champion entrepreneurial rebirth among youths on Bonny Island. He encouraged them to always keep an optimistic business mindset and translate the opportunities into further empowering others.

  • NNPC praises Oilserv for OB3 pipeline project

    The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation has expressed satisfaction with Oilserv Limited’s performance at the ongoing East-West pipeline project, also called Obiafu, Obrikom, Oben (OB3) gas pipeline.

    Oilserv, an engineering, procurement, construction, installation and commissioning company, has been a major player in the sector since its inception in 1992.

    It has contributed to the development of pipelines infrastructure, having executed various projects, including the Greater Lagos pipeline projects 1-4.

    Oilserv is executing the biggest pipeline in the country – OB3 Project (136km x 48 inch). The company, according to NNPC, has demonstrated indigenous capacity and expertise, which used to be the forte of international EPC  firms and has earned a reputation for quality, safety and on-time delivery of projects.

    This was confirmed during a visit to the Gas Treatment Plant (GTP) site of the OB3 Project by the management of the NNPC led by the Chief Operating Officer (COO), Gas and Power, Saidu Mohammed, an engineer, and the Managing Director of the Nigerian Gas Company (NGC), Tunde Bakare, an engineer.

    Impressed by the capacity and progress of Oilserv on the project,  Mohammed said: “This is a project that we have been waiting for in Nigeria and we are glad that the contractor is performing towards bringing light at the end of the tunnel. What I have seen so far is very impressive and the deadline of completing this project is achievable as all materials needed for the completion of the work are on ground.”

    Bakare said: “From what we have seen, Oilserv has done very well. The Gas Treatment Plant (GTP) is massive with a capacity of two billion standard cubic feet per day (2bscf/d). What is left is just the piping and we are sure that by September 2019, we will have the Vice President here to inaugurate the project.”

    Oilserv Chairman Emeka Okwuosa, an engineer, thanking the  NNPC delegation for the inspection, said: “Oilserv with the support of the client, NNPC, has demonstrated that such a huge project can be done locally. The project is quite challenging and Oilserv has always shown commitment in the process of executing the project from engineering and construction. The Gas Treatment Plant (GTP) is the largest that exists in Nigeria and maybe Africa and it is meant to have a capacity of two billion standard cubic feet per day (2bscf/d). A few changes in the entire design, in addition to other issues that came up, led to quite some delays. Be that as it may, the company is racing towards the finishing line and we are sure we will deliver on the new schedule.”

    Apart from building the first gas distribution network  in Nigeria, Oilserv has also built the Greater Lagos Phases I, II,III and IV gas pipeline poject for Gaslink Nigeria Limited and several others using high quality and safety standards.

    They are the Alaoji Gas Transmission Pipeline System for Nigerian Gas Company (NGC), the National Integrated Power Project (NIPP) lots 1 & 2 (Ihovbor, Egbema & Gbarain) for the Niger Delta Power Holding Company (NDPHC).

    Others include the Gas transmission Pipeline System for Geometric Power Limited, Aba, the Akute Independent Power Project for Oando Gas and Power, Oron Gas Transmission Pipeline System for SEPTA Energy, The Southsouth Gas Transmission Pipeline System for East Horizon Gas Company Limited, and Complete Upgrade of Ikeja Metering Station for NGPTC.

  • ‘Kachikwu’s visit to Exxon Mobil FPSO was to increase production’

    The Ministry of Petroleum Resources Monday said that visit by Minister of State Dr. Emmanuel Ibe Kachikwu to the ERHA FPSO operated by ExxonMobil was to increase crude oil production and also unlock the gas.

    The ministry’s Deputy Director, Press, Olujimi Oyetomi, who made this known in a statement Monday said that the “This visit by Dr. Kachikwu not only marks a defining one for the Nation but also highlights a personal achievement for the Minister considering that he took on his current portfolio from his then position as the Executive Vice Chairman of Mobil Producing Nigeria Unlimited and General Counsel for ExxonMobil Nigeria affiliate Upstream and Downstream Companies in Nigeria.

     “This latest round of visits to the FPSO’s is to provoke the Oil Production Fields of Nigeria to ramp up their crude production and unlock gas in line with the Gas Revolution Agenda of the #7BigWins. He was received by Richard Laing, Executive Director and Production Manager of ExxonMobil while Scott Hommema, PhD, the General Manager, Deepwater Operations and Joint Interest, took him and his delegation on a tour of the FPSO.”

    The statement said that while addressing key business concerns of Exxon Mobil, Dr. Kachikwu urged them to not only focus on the profitability of the firm but also on giving back to the society having been doing business around the country for a long time.

    He commended the crew on behalf of the Federal Government of Nigeria for their Sacrifice, urgency of attention and value addition while conveying President Muhammadu Buhari’s deep commitment to the welfare of those on the production fields.

    Kachikwu name-checked the Department of Petroleum Resources’ automation initiatives that include Crude Oil and LNG Tracking (COLT), Automatic Downstream System (ADS), Accelerated Lease Renewal Program (ALRP) and others.

    He also referenced the community engagement drive of the organization evidenced by the peace and harmony seen in operating areas.

    The Executive Director and Production Manager of ExxonMobil, Richard Laing, also used the opportunity to firmly debunk the unsubstantiated rumor about the organizations exit from Nigeria.

    He further noted that the ERHA field is located in Oil Mining Lease (OML) 133 and ExxonMobil holds a 56.25% participating interest while Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Company (SNEPCO) holds the remaining 43.75% share. The Floating, Production, Storage and Offloading (FPSO) has about 2.2 million barrels of storage capacity making it one of the largest of its kind, globally.

  • NUPENG urges Nigerians to stop panic buying of fuel

    The Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) on Saturday called on Nigerians to stop panic buying of petrol  and diesel as there was enough of the products in circulation.

    Mr Tayo Aboyeji, the NUPENG South West Chairman, made the call in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos.

    “Nigerians should stop spreading and listening to rumours of government removing fuel subsidy and increasing pump price of fuel.

    READ ALSO: NUPENG pledges seamless fuel distribution

    “We are not aware of such move, there is enough fuel in circulation and no increase have been made so far, ” Aboyeji said.

    The NUPENG boss cautioned Nigerians of the impeding dangers of storing and stock piling fuel at homes and shops, especially during this hot weather.

    “Careless storage of fuel can lead to fire disaster both in the house or in the car,” Aboyeji added.

    NAN reports that some few gas stations are not selling fuel while the few ones selling are witnessing long queue of vehicles and jerry cans in Lagos and other parts of the country.

    Despite the long queues, however, transport fares in most parts of Lagos state remain the same.

  • Kachikwu: Firms should raise Nigeria’s oil production to 7m bpd

    The Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Dr Emmanuel Ibe Kachikwu has challenged exploration and production companies in Nigeria to strive to raise daily crude oil production to seven million barrels per day (bpd) from the about 2.1 million bpd currently produced.

    Kachikwu, who spoke at the just concluded second edition of the Nigerian Oil and Gas Opportunity Fair (NOGOF) organised by the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, urged all stakeholders in the petroleum industry to put all hands on deck to actualise the aspiration.

    He said: “Industry players should strive for improvements in all facets of their operations because Nigeria should be producing over seven million barrels of crude oil every day and enough gas to meet its electricity needs. The oil and gas sector should have rapidly developing infrastructure, while oil bearing communities ought to be well developed with proceeds from the sale of crude oil.”

    He encouraged Nigerian operators to move into other African countries and use Nigeria’s 60 years’ experience in the sector to lead the operations of their fields.

    Read Also: Kachikwu re-elected APPO president

    The Executive Secretary NCDMB, Simbi Kesiye Wabote, said the Board had identified over 80 oil and gas opportunities that would be developed by major international and indigenous operating companies in the short and long term, with the estimated cumulative value of the projects exceeding $100 billion.

    The projects, according to him, are contained in the Compendium of Nigerian Content Opportunities in the Oil and Gas Industry launched at the event. The projects and opportunities cover the upstream, midstream and downstream subsectors of the Nigerian oil and gas sector and were collated from presentations by various oil and gas companies at the first edition of NOGOF in 2017 and updated at workshops organised by the Board in October 2018.

    Wabote explained that the compendium was intended to create a database of Nigerian Content opportunities and help indigenous and potential investors prepare, improve their capacities and capabilities to participate in available and upcoming contracts and projects.

    He added that the compendium gives the industry a five-year outlook and enables stakeholders to key into those opportunities. The NCDMB chief said: “Two years ago when we held this workshop, we talked about ExxonMobil’s Ibot, Total’s Ikike and NLNG Train 7. Today, they are going through the funnel and within the next few weeks they would take Final Investment Decisions (FIDs) on Ikike and Ibot and before the end of the year they would take FID on Train 7. We focus and follow through on those opportunities. Every two years we roll on new opportunities and add to the compendium.”

    Kachikwu, who was just re-elected the President of the African Petroleum Producers Organisation (APPO) for a third term at the association’s meeting in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea, also noted that the speedy development of the identified $100billion opportunities would require the roles and contributions of various entities including the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) for approvals, Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) for negotiations and the oil companies, who would take FIDs, among others.

    He promised that the Ministry of Petroleum Resources would midwife a special arrangement that would involve every agency of government and entity that has a role to play in the approval and development of the identified projects. “We must avoid a situation whereby NCDMB might work very fast and gets to the goal post and others are just taking off. We would create an arrangement that involves everybody and be clear about the deliverables, timelines and opportunities and bring out something which everyone can then drive.”

    On government’s support for modular refineries as a strategy for ending crude oil theft, vandalism and environmental degradation, Kachikwu said the Ministry of Petroleum would develop a policy that would encourage persons living in oil producing communities to form cooperatives, with which they can set up and own modular refineries. He said: “We would have some agreements with them to stop the sabotage. We can work with NCDMB to put in a bit of funding. Then we put in technical know-how, business structure around it and have a major shareholder who is an entrepreneur. That way the locals get to participate, get jobs, polish their skills sets, crude is paid for and not stolen and the environment is better dealt with.”

    Kachikwu expressed regret that the potentialities of the Nigerian oil and gas sector was not being maximised and advised stakeholders to accelerate their activities because oil is a fast degenerating asset and developed countries were already switching to cleaner energy options

    He praised Wabote for his numerous achievements, particularly for the construction of the Board’s 17-storey headquarters building. “The building is not just important to NCDMB but also for Bayelsa State, because it had cried out for long that federal presence was not here. This is a big federal presence. By the time they finish the power supply they are doing with Agip, you will have a near 100 per cent supply of power to most of the Board’s facilities.”

    Over 1000 delegates including attended the event. The Fair’s theme was: Maximizing oil & gas industry for the benefit of the Nigerian people.