Oilserv Limited says the $2.8 million Ajaokuta-Kaduna-Kano (AKK) gas pipeline project has crossed the River Niger after years of setback due to its “difficult terrain”.
In December 2020, Mele Kyari, former group chief executive officer (GCEO), Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited, announced the pipeline will cross the River Niger.
Bayo Ojulari, GCEO of NNPC, had said the pipeline project reached 72 percent completion rate at the end of March.
In a statement on Wednesday, Oilserv, the contractor handling section A of the project, said it successfully delivered the project with precision, safety, and technical excellence despite challenging terrain and other difficulties.
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The engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) firm also said it has commenced the hydrostatic and line purging process, which is expected to conclude shortly.
“Our team has completed a 40-inch x 580m pipeline crossing through the Pai River using Horizontal Directional Drilling (HDD), along with a 480m Fiber Optic Communication Cable (FOCC) installation,” the statement reads.
“This was done in fractured granite (rock) formation. Despite the challenges and difficult terrain, we delivered with precision, safety, and technical excellence.
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“We have also initiated the Hydrostatic/Line purging process which is expected to be completed soon.”
The company said the gas pipeline is a national project “strategically positioned to strengthen the reliability and resilience of Nigeria’s energy network and support long-term national stability”.
The construction of the 614km AKK pipeline project was flagged-off simultaneously in Kogi and Kaduna states by former President Muhammadu Buhari in 2020, to encourage gas utilisation.
The AKK gas pipeline project, a section of the Trans-Nigeria Gas Pipeline (TNGP), aims at expanding Nigeria’s gas pipeline network in response to growing power demand and the need for gas-based industries.
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