The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation and Total E&P Nigeria Limited joint venture have commenced the supply of gas to the Alaoji Power Plant in Rivers State, which was built under the National Integrated Power Project scheme.

According to a statement, it came after the completion and start-up of the Obite-Ubeta-Rumuji Pipeline and the Northern Option Pipeline projects by the NNPC/TEPNG JV in August 2016.

The Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Total E&P Nigeria Limited, Nicolas Terraz, was quoted as saying, “The completion of these pipelines is an important milestone in the activities of Total in Nigeria. The NOPL is unique and strategic in meeting the Federal Government’s objectives of gas supply to the domestic market.”
The statement said the O-U-R pipeline is a 42-inch gas pipeline, extending 45 kilometres from Obite to Rumuji in Rivers State and will transport both domestic and export gas.

The NOPL project consists of a 50km, 24-inch gas pipeline, which starts at Oil Mining Lease 58 in Rivers State, and ends at the Owaza node in Abia State.

The NOPL has the capacity to provide up to 300 million standard cubic feet of gas per day to the eastern grid domestic gas market, with the Alaoji power plant taking up to 100 million scf/d to generate electricity, while other users take up the rest.

It said the two critical gas infrastructures were part of the ambitious OML 58 upgrade initiative to increase oil and gas production, improve integrity of the facilities and eliminate flaring from the mature onshore field.

The statement said the projects recorded remarkable achievements in terms of Nigerian content development; providing training and capacity for Nigerian youths in specialised skills; stimulating the local economy through the numerous contracts; and creating employment opportunities.