Ekperikpe Ekpo, Nigeria’s minister of state petroleum resources (Gas), has said the Obrikom, Obiafo and Oben (OB3) gas pipeline project will be completed by March 2024.
Ekpo said this on Tuesday in Abuja, at the opening session of the seventh edition of the Nigerian International Energy Summit.
According to Ekpo, the OB3 pipeline project serves as a crucial link to the Ajaokuta-Kaduna-Kano (AKK) gas pipeline, forming an essential part of Nigeria’s gas infrastructure.
“We have to increase gas production and one of the most important aspects of the gas for distribution is the OB3 project, which will enable the taking up of gas from the South-South part of the country up to the West and the North,” Ekpo said.
He said that the government is committed to ensuring the timely completion of key gas projects to facilitate a smooth transition to natural gas, a cornerstone of the government’s energy strategy.
The OB3 gas pipeline project is a 127 km, 48-inch gas pipeline. It stands as one of the most substantial gas transmission pipelines in Nigeria and across Africa in terms of pipe size.
Accompanied by a Gas Treatment Plant (GTP), the facility boasts a robust capacity of producing 2 billion standard cubic feet of gas per day (2bscf/d). Spanning from the Obiafu-Obrikom gas plant near Omuku, Rivers State, the OB3 gas pipeline extends to Oben, Edo State.
Initially slated for completion by the second quarter of 2019, delays arose due to adverse weather conditions, notably rain and flooding, impacting construction progress by August 2018.
Further hindrances, including the widespread disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and slowdowns attributed to alterations in contracting agreements, have collectively contributed to the project’s prolonged delay over nearly eight years.
