Oilserv CEO: AKK gas pipeline project to be completed July 2024

Emeka Okwuosa, the group chief executive officer (GCEO) of Oilserv Group, says the Ajeokuta-Kaduna-Kano (AKK) gas pipeline project will be completed by July 2024.

Okwuosa made the promise during a site inspection led by Ekperikpe Ekpo, minister of state for petroleum resources (gas).

The minister visited the Pai River crossing section in the Kwali area council of the federal capital territory (FCT), Abuja, to assess work progress.

Oilserv is the contractor executing segment A of the 614-kilometer pipeline being developed by Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited to transport natural gas from southern to central Nigeria.

The $2.8 billion project represents phase one of the 1,300km-long Trans-Nigerian Gas Pipeline (TNGP) project being developed as part of Nigeria’s master plan to utilise its surplus gas resources.

Flagged off in 2020, Mele Kyari, NNPC’s GCEO, had said the project would be completed by the third quarter (Q3) of this year.

Speaking on the project during the tour, Okwuosa said the Pai River crossing section is peculiar, hence the deployment of horizontal directional drilling technology for perfect execution of the project.

On the completion date, he said the project would be delivered by July or August 2024.

“From our schedule, I know we are finishing next year. On the main pipeline itself that will deliver the gas, we are optimistic that by July, or August next year, we would be done,” Okwuosa said.

“We have our schedule as far as where we are today and we are working hard to mitigate and make sure we deliver.

“A lot of what we have to deal with in the next six months will be the river crossings area.”

Okwuosa commended the federal government and the NNPC for their support toward the speedy completion of the gas pipeline.

He said his firm is always in synergy with NNPC as “they support and raise the funds to keep the project ongoing”.

“Our commitment is more than 100 percent. Though we have challenges, but our job is to deal with the challenges and make sure the project is completed as scheduled,” Okwuosa added.

The Oilserv GCEO also acknowledged the minister’s zeal on the completion of the project, stating that his “commitment towards the development of gas as a source of energy in Nigeria is unequalled”.

‘AKK PROJECT TO CHANGE ENERGY DELIVERY LANDSCAPE’

On the importance of the gas pipeline development, Okwuosa said the AKK project is very critical in gas delivery in Nigeria.

“After completion, we would be able to have gas and NNPCL, the owner, would be able to deliver gas to the northern part of Nigeria, but also spur development of gas in the southern part of Nigeria and create a lot of wealth as well in the south,” he said.

“With gas available, you have power, compressed natural gas, CNG (for vehicles to run with and reduce dependency on PMS), build fertilizer plants, helping agriculture, and so on.

“This project will change the landscape of energy delivery and the economy of Nigeria will change.”

On his part, Ekpo expressed satisfaction with the pace of work on the project but harped on the need for it to be completed on schedule.

The minister said when it is completed, many ailing industries “will come to limelight”, and there would be “efficient power supply, availability of compressed natural gas (CNG) for vehicles, and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) for cooking”.

“Today the global world is talking about gas and we have it in abundance, the reserve is enough to take us for the next hundred years and service other nations. Nigeria should actually be the hub of gas resources,” Ekpo said.

The minister said the prosperity of Nigeria depends on the project, as it would guarantee energy security in the long term with a boost in investment.