Oliserv to complete AKK gas pipeline project in July 2024, as Ekpo, Minister of State Gas, says “Nigeria’s prosperity depends on the project”
AKK VISIT: From left: Engr. Emeka Okwuosa, Group Chief Executive Officer (GCEO) of Oilserv Group of Companies,(1st left); Mr. Farouk Ahmed Authority Chief Executive (ACE) Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) (2nd left); Mr. Ekperikpe Ekpo, Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Gas, the inspection of Ajaokuta–Kaduna–Kano (AKK) project sites in PAI Community, Gwagwalada and Kwali, Abuja on Thursday.
Rita Blessing
The Group Chief Executive Officer (GCEO) of Oilserv Group of Companies, Engr. Emeka Okwuosa, CON, the contractors executing segment A of the 614-kilometer Ajaokuta. Kaduna, Kano (AKK) gas pipeline project has assured the completion of the project by July 2024.
Engr. Okwuosa gave the assurance while responding to questions from Hon. Ekperikpe Ekpo, Minister of State, Petroleum Resources (Gas), during an inspection tour on Thursday, October 12, 2023, to see the progress of work at the Pai River crossing session in Kwali area council of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.
Engr. Okwuosa noted that the Pai River crossing was peculiar hence the deployment of Horizontal Directional Drilling Technology to ensure perfect execution of the project.
Responding to the question of when the job will be completed, he said “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.
“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 crossing area.”
He commended the Federal Government and the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) for their support and commitment to ensure the speedy completion of the project.
He also applauded the minister for his commitment towards the completion of the project.
Commenting on the level of support received from the NNPCL, Engr. Okwuosa said “I can assure you that whatever we are doing will not be possible without the support of NNPC and we are always in sync, and they support and raise the funds to keep the project ongoing.
” Our commitment is more than 100 percent. Though we have challenges, our job is to deal with the challenges and make sure the project is completed as scheduled.”
Addressing journalists on the importance of the AKK gas pipeline project to the development of the nation’s economy, Engr. Okwuosa explained that “For the gas itself, the project AKK is very critical as well as important in gas delivery in Nigeria.
It is a major segment of the Nigerian gas master plan meant to distribute gas across Nigeria and provide energy. You must have heard the Minister stating that energy is life. But gas is energy and that is what we have 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.
“With gas available, you have power, Compressed natural gas, CNG (for vehicles to run with and reduce dependency on PMS), build fertilizer plants, help agriculture, and so on.
“This project will change the landscape of energy delivery and the economy of Nigeria will change.”
Earlier, Ekperikpe Ekpo, Minister of State Petroleum Resources (Gas), in his remark emphasised that the prosperity of Nigeria depends on the project.
According to him, when completed, power plants in Abuja, Kaduna and Kaduna will be put into use guaranteeing energy security in the long term with a boost in investment.
Ekpo, while expressing satisfaction with the pace of work on the project, assured that the project will be completed between July and August 2024.
He therefore encouraged Oilserv on the need to stick to the completion schedule.
He said, “When completed, many ailing industries will come to limelight, there will be efficient power supply, availability of Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) for vehicles, and Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) for cooking, eradicating biomass (charcoal) while industries would equally come up.
“Today, the global world is talking about gas, and we have it in abundance, the reserve is enough to take us for next hundred years and service other nations. Nigeria should actually be the hub of gas resources,” the Minister of State Petroleum Resources (Gas) said.
