NNPC Completes River Niger Crossing on OB3 Gas Pipeline, Boosts National Gas Network

The NNPC Limited has announced the successful completion of the River Niger Crossing on the 130-kilometre Obiafu-Obrikom-Oben (OB3) Gas Pipeline, marking a major milestone in Nigeria’s gas infrastructure expansion.

The breakthrough, executed by the NNPC Gas Infrastructure Company Limited (NGIC), a subsidiary of NNPC Limited, is expected to unlock the full operational capacity of the OB3 pipeline, enabling the transportation of up to 2 billion standard cubic feet of gas per day across the country.

According to the company, the technically demanding crossing was carried out about two kilometres beneath the River Niger riverbed using advanced Horizontal Directional Drilling (HDD) technology, in partnership with PCE Nig. Limited.

Speaking on the development, NNPC Group Chief Executive Officer, Bashir Bayo Ojulari, described the achievement as a major step forward in strengthening Nigeria’s gas transmission network.

Ojulari said the completion of the crossing would improve gas supply reliability, deepen domestic gas utilisation, and support power generation and industrial expansion across the country.

He noted that the feat builds on lessons from the earlier successful River Niger Crossing under the Ajaokuta–Kaduna–Kano Gas Pipeline Project (AKK) in 2025, adding that the OB3 crossing presented even greater engineering challenges due to the Niger Delta terrain.

The NNPC boss praised the commitment of the project team and contractors, saying the success was driven by strong project governance, innovative engineering, and effective problem-solving.

He also acknowledged the support of the Federal Government under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, saying the administration’s gas development agenda and business-friendly policies played a key role in enabling the project.

Ojulari further appreciated the guidance of the NNPC Board, led by Chairman Ahmadu Musa Kida, as well as the host communities for their cooperation throughout the project.

The OB3 pipeline is considered a strategic backbone infrastructure designed to link Nigeria’s eastern gas network with the western corridor and extend supply to the northern axis through the AKK pipeline.

NNPC said the successful crossing is expected to unlock over 500 million standard cubic feet of additional gas supply for the domestic market in the short term, boosting electricity generation, industrial productivity, and gas exports to the West African market.

The development also aligns with the Federal Government’s target of achieving 3 million barrels of crude oil production per day and 12 billion standard cubic feet of gas production daily by 2030.