Towards achieving the nation's gas revolution

Many have pegged the biggest energy innovation of the decade as natural gas. Thus, the nation's gas revolution agenda unveiled with much fanfare is being hailed as having the potential to change the national energy dialogue and overall energy outlook.

The Nigerian gas revolution as unveiled by the Federal Government envisages an industrial rebirth via an ambitious industrial investment package comprised of the construction of a scale petrochemical plant, two fertilizer plants, five fertilizer blending plants, a methanol plant and a Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) distribution plant.

Needless to say, a successful deliverance on these projects would position Nigeria as the unquestionable regional hub for gas-based industries and serve as the catalyst for a major reindustrialisation of the country. Already, the estimation is that these planned investments will "in one swoop result in the most significant inflow of foreign direct investment of over $10 billion between 2012-2014 when all the plants would be operational."

According to Dizeani Alison-Madueke, minister of Petroleum Resources, President Goodluck Jonathan's dream for gas in Nigeria takes into cognisance the abundant availability of natural gas resources in the country and his hope is to reindustrialise Nigeria using this vast natural resource that the country is endowed with.

The delivery of the government's vision is noted to be anchored on the three prime values of significantly improved power availability for all, repositioning of the country as the undisputed regional hub for gas-based industries, and a geographically spread industrialisation.

Alison-Madueke said: "Mr. President believes that our vast resources' potential qualifies Nigeria to be a world class player in the global gas business. Our gas agenda, both domestic and export clearly pave the way now for Nigeria to be in that category, with all the attendant benefits. That agenda will necessitate an unprecedented growth in our gas supply from the current 1 billion cubic feet per day to over 10 billion cubic feet per day by 2020."

Africa is witnessing major development activities in the exploration of hydrocarbons and the continent is also emerging as a vital supplier of Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) with amplification in natural gas production in recent years. These development activities have resulted in the continent's growing importance with an increased contribution to global oil and gas production. Meanwhile, this improved significance is attributed largely to continuous development activities in Nigeria, Angola, and Chad among other African countries.

The Federal Government has, thus, decided to intensify exploration for hydrocarbons in the inland sedimentary basins consisting of Anambra Basin, Bida Basin, Dahomey Basin, Gongola/Yola Basin, Sokoto Basin, the Middle/Lower Benue Trough and the Chad Basin, using the latest seismic technology including electromagnetic surveys.

"By enhancing the prospect of these basins, we hope to build significant supply bases across the various geopolitical zones that complement the existing gas supply centres in the Niger Delta," Alison-Madueke stated.

She further explained that besides the critical Calabar-Ajaokuta-Kano gas pipeline proposed to link the existing gas zones to other parts of the country, additional spur lines originating from the envisaged new supply centres in the inland basins are in the offing to enhance the growth of local supply and consumption.

"Mr. President is determined to ensure that the efficient and effective utilisation of our natural gas resources will impact positively on the life of every Nigerian," Alison-Madueke emphasised.

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