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Indications have emerged that Nigeria’s gas demand would hit 4,000 million standard cubic feet per day (mscfpd) mark, by 2016, from about 3,000 mscfpd in 2014.
The Managing Director, Pipeline Products Marketing Company (PPMC), Haruna Momoh, who disclosed this to the media recently, expressed the company’s commitment to meet the demand through its infrastructure development programmes that are at different stages of completion.
Momoh, however bemoaned the increasing spate of pipeline vandalism by some unpatriotic elements in the country, who are determined to sabotage the growing economy.
He raised hope on the industrial boom which is expected to drive the explosive growth in domestic demand for natural gas.
The PPMC boss therefore raised concern on the national loss to vandalism in financial terms, environmental degradation, product wastage, and threat to live and properties.
According to him, the company, an arm of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), is making plans to introduce new pipeline surveillance technology to combat the menace.
He described the act as a national disaster, adding that it is not conducive for a nation that wants to be among the top 20 economies of the world by 2020.
The Group Managing Director, NNPC, Andrew Yakubu had earlier said the gas revolution agenda and gas based industrialisation is being pursued vigorously.
Yakubu said the gas sector has witnessed improvements in line with the Federal government’s initiative to further monetise the gas resources in the country.
He however, disclosed that gas flaring has significantly reduced from 28 per cent two years ago to about 10 per cent today, adding that the corporation if focused on the development and installation of new infrastructure for gas processing, transmission and distribution nationwide.
NNPC’s gas supply to domestic market has been estimated at about 1500 million scfpd recently, from about 300 million scfpd few years ago.
The GMD said about 70 per cent of the supply is dedicated to support the power sector, while the 30 per cent ballance would be channeled to other industrial users.
He said: “As of today, over 200 manufacturing industries now utilise natural gas and we expect that this number will double as we complete the gas infrastructure construction programme.”
He however noted that progress is being made on the gas industrial park complex being constructed at Ogidigben in Delta State, while the ground breaking would be held very soon.
“Pre-construction data gathering has been completed and clearing of the 2700 hectres of land is on-going”, he said.
