We’ll make money from gas – NNPC boss

The Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Dr

In a statement in Abuja on Thursday by the ‎Group General Manager, Group Public Affairs Division, Mr Ndu Ughamadu, Baru said monetisation of natural gas was a cardinal mandate of the corporation.

Baru expressed NNPC’s commitment to carry on with its twin gas projects, Brass LNG and OK LNG when he ‎received the management of the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA‎).‎

He said the two projects were high priority gas ventures which would boost the nation’s revenue.‎‎

Recently at the annual gas conference, NNPC had promised to increase Nigeria’s revenue from the nation’s abundant gas reserves.‎

“We are still committed, as NNPC, to monetising our natural gas. We have the Nigerian Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG) which is at the moment monetising about four billion standard cubic feet of gas on a daily basis (4 billion scf/d).

”We also have plans for Olokola LNG as well as Brass LNG. ‎We have a little challenge with market windows for these projects which we are reviewing on a monthly basis.

”‎Once the appropriate market window opens up, we will quickly get more shareholders to join us for the projects,” Baru explained.‎

He said a meeting of Brass LNG stakeholders had been scheduled for early next year to chart the way forward for the project.

Baru further disclosed that apart from the LNG projects, NNPC was also working on gas monetisation through aggressive enhancement of domestic gas supply for power generation and industrial use.

On the alleged scarcity of Aviation Turbine Kerosene (ATK), which is purportedly responsible for the hardship being experienced in the aviation sector, Baru assured that NNPC had taken steps to ensure adequate supply of the product with the importation of over 45 million litres.

He added that the challenge had more to do with the inability of airlines to pay for the product upon the introduction of a cash-and-carry policy by marketers on account of the huge amount they were being owed by the airlines.

He also lauded the management of NTA for its factual reportage of the Corporation’s activities.

He urged the NTA to help in enlightening the public on the dangers of pipeline vandalism which long-term impact on the environment far outweighed whatever short-term gain the perpetrators might be seeking.

Earlier, the Director-General of NTA, Malam Yakubu Mohammed, said that the visit was a continuation of the Authority’s resolve to liaise constantly with other government agencies.

“The NNPC and NTA have come a long way.

”Our relationship has continued to wax stronger and stronger and it is my desire to ensure that during my stint as DG of NTA, we take this relationship to a greater height,” Mohammed said.