By Chineme Okafor in Abuja
The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) has said it was ready to complete the ongoing Escravos to Lagos Pipeline System 2 (ELPS-2) project in the last quarter of this year.
It said when completed, the critical gas line would boost gas supply to power plants in the country.
NNPC’s Group Managing Director, Dr. Maikanti Baru said this in a statement from the corporation’s Group General Manager Public Affairs, Mallam Garuba Deen Muhammad on Friday in Abuja.
The statement said Baru made this commitment when he visited the Governor of Ogun State, Ibikunle Amosun in Abeokuta.
Baru reportedly said the 36 inch and 342 kilometres gas pipeline project would double the capacity of the existing ELPS, thereby improving gas supply to Ogun State and its environs.
He said: “We wish to reiterate that NNPC will continue to support the aspiration of Ogun, Ondo and Lagos States toward the establishment of a mega city and the free trade zones. As you may be aware, gas supply to these states are key to the realisation of these objectives. Our major gas and product pipelines transverse Ogun State.”
He also stated that the recent achievement of security agencies in safeguarding the corporation’s Atlas Cove to Mosimi System 2B pipeline would not have been possible without the support of the host communities and the state government.
Baru urged the state government to help prevent encroachment on petroleum product pipeline right of way and incessant hacking into the pipeline to steal products.
He also spoke on the availability of kerosene, and informed that currently all NNPC retail outlets had been supplied with kerosene and selling at N150 per litre.
He asked that other petroleum marketers take a cue from NNPC and sell their kerosene at a price cap of N150 per litre.
“I am calling on other marketers to emulate NNPC by selling kerosene at maximum of N150 per litre which also provides sufficient margin for them to do so. We are committed to promoting the use of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) as an alternative choice for home cooking, which is also available at our NNPC retail stations,” Baru said.
Amosun was equally quoted to have said in response that the State will continue to collaborate with NNPC in securing all national oil and gas assets situated within Ogun State.
