Group Executive Director of Exploration and Production of Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Chris Ogiemwonyi has assured that the perennial shortage of gas used in thermal power stations in the country will end in 2009.
Speaking in Abuja on Tuesday, Ogienwonyi said gas-based projects in the country, which were started in 2008 would mature between the first quarter of 2009 and the first quarter of 2010.
According to the Punch newspaper on Wednesday, disruptions of gas supply to the existing thermal plants like Egbin and Sapele, coupled with non-supply to the newly-constructed stations like Geregu, Omotosho and Papalanto. That had crippled the efforts to improve power supply in the country, despite the huge sum channelled into the sector by the administration of former President Olusegun Obasanjo.
The problem escalated a month ago after Shell and Chevron announced the closure of some of its gas plants owing to renewed vandalism of its pipelines.
In the Nigerian government's 2008 budget, an equivalent of 2 billion naira (15 million U.S. dollars) was earmarked for gas projects with the aim of making gas available for domestic market, particularly the beleaguered power sector.
Ogiemwonyi assured the suffering Nigerians that once the projects are delivered beginning from the first quarter of 2009, the acute shortage of electricity would end.
He disclosed that the NNPC is bringing its own in the third quarter of 2009.
Source:Xinhua
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