Minister of state for petroleum resources (Gas), Ekperikpe Ekpo, has restated the federal government’s commitment in supporting private sector investments geared towards unlocking Nigeria’s gas potential for the benefit of the economy and citizens.

Mr Epko made this known on Friday in Abuja when he met with a delegation of promoters and top officials of the Brass Petrochemical and Gas Project to be located in Bayelsa State.

The delegation was led by its managing director, Ben Okoye and the chief gas and power investment officer, Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd.), Salihu Jamari.

Mr Ekpo, in a statement issued by his spokesperson, Louis Iboh, tasked the management of gas producer, SPDC JV, to work closely with promoters of the Brass Petrochemical and Gas Project.

This, the minister said, would ensure a smooth supply of gas for the project in line with the aspiration of President Bola Tinubu on the availability of feedstocks to drive gas-based investments, commercialisation and industrialisation projects.

“The feeling of Mr President is that anything that has to do with gas production, commercialisation and industrialisation should be encouraged and given priority; I would like the two sectors to be more cordial,” Ekpo said.

Ben Okoye, managing director of the Brass Methanol project, informed the minister that the team had unbundled the gas and methanol components of the project to operate as separate projects.

He assured that once approval is received from the board of Brass Petrochemical, things would kick-start by March this year, adding that everything about the project would be completed by the first quarter of 2027.

He said the gas pipelines had been designed to be expanded from Train One to Train Three and even more on gas availability.

“Though the starting capacity for the Gas Plant would be 340 million standard cubic feet (mmscfd), the pipeline is designed to carry 980mmscf,’’ he said.

Ed Ubong, the SPDC representative at the meeting, assured that they are fully committed to the project and fulfilling its gas supply obligations.

Former minister of information and communications, Frank Nweke, who is also on the board of the Brass Petrochemical project, called for stronger political leadership from the government.

Mr Nweke said stronger leadership would see the project through, given the inherent benefits of additional revenue generation to government coffers, forex availability and job creation to citizens.

(NAN)