FG, Morrocco Govt expedite talks to fast-track gas pipeline project

The Nigerian government has intensified discussions with the Kingdom of Morocco to fast-track the Final Investment Decision, FID, ) on the Nigeria-Morocco Gas Pipeline.

A statement signed by the Corporate Communications Officer, Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, Olufemi Soneye disclosed that the recent talks were held on the sidelines of a meeting between the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Gas, Ekperikpe Ekpo, and the Moroccan Minister of Energy Transition and Sustainable Development, Leila Benali.

He informed that the discussions focused on accelerating the Nigeria-Morocco Gas Pipeline Project in line with agreements reached by both countries in 2022.

Soneye noted that both countries emphasised the relevance of the project to their economies and the need to expeditiously stem the energy poverty on the African continent.

NNPCL had signed an agreement for a 48” x 5,300Km pipeline from Nigeria to Dhakia, Morocco, and 1,700km from Dhakia to Northern Morocco in 2017.

The gas pipeline according to design will have a capacity of 30 billion cubic meters, bcm, per year, which is equivalent to 3.0 billion standard cubic feet of gas per day.

The pipeline is expected to traverse the Republic of Benin, Togo, Ghana, Cote d’Ivoire, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Gambia, Senegal, Mauritania, and terminate in Morocco with a spur to Spain.

The statement read, ‘‘Due to the international nature of the project, the ECOWAS Commission is saddled with the responsibility to, among other things, facilitate inter-governmental treaty and host government agreements, the establishment of Pipeline Higher Authority, and alignment with AU, UN and other relevant international bodies.

‘’The project, among other things, will help drive the monetisation of Nigeria’s gas resources, maintain NNPC Ltd.’s energy leadership in Africa, and promote economic and regional cooperation among African Countries’’.