Oilserv Limited says it has commenced work on the shallow-water section of the Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG) gas transmission system (GTS-1) expansion project aimed at strengthening supply infrastructure to the Bonny Island liquefaction plant.

The Managing Director of Oilserv Limited, Kenechukwu Nwangwu, disclosed this in an interview in Abuja on the sidelines of the just-concluded Nigeria oil and gas (NOG) conference.

Mr Nwangwu said the GTS-1 project formed part of the NLNG’s strategy to expand its gas transmission network to support increased gas production and higher processing capacity, particularly with the coming on stream of Train Seven.

He also said that the GTS-1 project, which involved shallow-water pipeline installation to Bonny Island, would strengthen gas supply to the NLNG’s processing facilities and support increased production capacity.

“Another exciting project currently underway is our participation in the NLNG GTS-1 expansion.

“This project introduces another level of engineering complexity, particularly because it involves shallow-water pipeline installation and specialised marine construction activities.

“The project is a major milestone for both the company and Nigeria’s gas industry, reflecting the growing confidence of major energy companies in indigenous engineering firms,” he said.

According to him, the company is laying about six kilometres of offshore pipeline across shallow waters using barges and other specialised installation equipment.

He added that thousands of pipeline joints had already been transported from Port Harcourt to Bonny Island, where installation activities were ongoing.

Mr Nwangwu said the project required precision in logistics, welding, installation, testing and tie-ins with the broader gas transmission network.

He also said that the project further demonstrated Oilserv’s capacity to execute complex onshore and offshore pipeline infrastructure while expanding its technical capabilities in Nigeria’s energy sector.

“Oilserv is advancing work on several strategic gas infrastructure projects, including the Ajaokuta-Kaduna-Kano (AKK) gas pipeline.

“This is even as Nigeria intensifies efforts to deepen domestic gas utilisation. The project most Nigerians are familiar with is the AKK Gas Pipeline Project, which remains one of the country’s most ambitious gas infrastructure developments.

“We have successfully completed the mainline welding activities, and our teams are presently focused on pre-commissioning and commissioning operations.

“We are working collaboratively with the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Limited), government stakeholders and our partners to ensure that the pipeline is ready for first gas within the government’s targeted timeline,” he said

He described the AKK as a key project under Nigeria’s Decade of Gas initiative, saying it would improve domestic gas transportation, support power generation, boost manufacturing, and stimulate industrial development across northern Nigeria.

He added that the company was also executing the Ubeta project for TotalEnergies, which was nearing completion of the ANOH Renaissance project and progressing with the ANOH-NNPC project.

Mr Nwangwu said Oilserv had continued to leverage technology to improve project delivery, noting that it was among the first indigenous companies to deploy automatic and semi-automatic welding systems in large-scale pipeline construction.

He also stated that the company was integrating digital engineering tools and artificial intelligence (AI) into engineering design, project analytics and document management to enhance efficiency, safety and decision-making.

On domestic gas utilisation, the Oilserv boss noted that infrastructure remained the biggest challenge rather than gas availability.

According to him, pipelines, processing facilities and distribution networks are essential to ensuring supplies reach industries, power plants and households.

“Every pipeline installed expands the country’s capacity to move gas efficiently from producing fields to processing plants and then industrial users,” he said.

He commended the NLNG’s increasing supply of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) to the domestic market, describing it as a positive step towards improving cooking gas availability.

(NAN)