NPDC targets 600mmscf/d of gas supply to domestic market

By Oke Peter

The Nigerian Petroleum Development Company (NPDC), an exploration and production subsidiary of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), is looking at boosting its gas supply to the domestic market by 600 million standard cubic feet per day (mmscf/d) in the next three to five years.

The managing director of NPDC, Engineer Mansur Sambo, made this known during a facility tour of the company’s Oredo Gas Handling Plant by the NNPC Group Managing Director, Mallam Mele Kyari, in Benin City, Edo State.

Speaking on the medium term projection of the company which is currently the highest supplier of natural gas to the domestic market, the NPDC boss said besides the 1billion standard cubic feet per day (bscf/d) it currently produces, the company would add another 600mmscf to its production portfolio in the next three to five years.

Giving a breakdown of the projection, Sambo said the company’s OML 34 was expected to deliver 360mmscf/d, while OMLs 42 and 111 would deliver 120mmscf/d apiece.

He stated that NPDC has revved up production in OML 111 by 2,100barrels per day (bpd) of crude oil and 27mmscfd of gas, thereby increasing cumulative production from the acreage to 10,699bpd.

Sambo, who also announced the successful drilling of Well 16 in OML 111, said the well was essentially for gas with associated crude oil, adding the plan was for the gas plant to be fed from the well.

On the gas handling facility, the NPDC boss disclosed that the Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) unit would be ready for commissioning in October, 2020.

Speaking at the occasion, Mallam Kyari described the development as a significant step towards growing the nation’s crude oil reserves and increasing production, stressing more of such was needed to meet the target of 3million barrels per day production and sustain the nation’s economic growth.