NPA, NLNG collaborate to increase natural gas production capacity

NPA, NLNG collaborate to increase natural gas production capacity

Chinazor Megbolu

The Managing Director, Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Ms. Hadiza Bala-Usman, has said the organization will collaborate with the Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG) Limited, in a bid to increase natural gas production capacity by 36 per cent.

Bala-Usman made the disclosure during a virtual multilogues-2 organized by the Nigerian Gas Association (NGA) on Friday.

Represented by the Executive Director of Marine and Operations, NPA, Onari Brown, Bala-Usman noted the NPA will partner NLNG in increasing natural gas production from 22 million tonnes to 30 million tonnes per annum.

According to Bala-Usman; “the NPA is poised to offer necessary collaborative support to the NLNG in achieving the goals of its Train 7 projects which we are informed, will increase Nigeria’s liquified natural gas production capacity by 36 per cent from the current 22 million tonnes per annum to 30 million tonnes per annum.

“This expansion will ensure that Nigeria, with its significant gas reserves considered the ninth largest in the world remains atop, reliable and the preferred supplier of LNG in the ever expanding energy market”.

She further explained that there’s need for the deep seaports to accommodate larger vessels and improve port services, adding that the agency will commence the electronic callup system in Apapa from February 27, 2021 towards decongesting traffic in the port.

“We are also conscious of the current limitation of our seaports in relations to the growing appeal of larger vessels which should be deployed for the purpose of economies of scale.

“This is why we are very keen in the construction of deep seaports. Two of those are currently under construction in Lekki and Badagry with prospect of another one in Ibom. These ports will enhance our capacity to export more gas to our growing global client base with better turn around.

“Someone may talk about the congestion in Apapa. From tomorrow, we are flagging off our e-callup system that we believe will significantly address congestion at Apapa,” she said.