NNPC targets 500mscf gas boost with OB3 River Niger crossing completion

The NNPC Gas Infrastructure Company (NGIC), a subsidiary of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Ltd, has completed the River Niger crossing of the 130km Obiafu-Obrikom-Oben (OB3) gas pipeline. This achievement marks a significant milestone in the expansion of Nigeria’s national gas transmission network.

​NNPC Ltd chief corporate communications officer Andy Odeh said in a statement that the crossing unlocks the full potential of the OB3 pipeline. The strategic infrastructure is designed to transport up to 2 bn standard cubic feet (scf) of gas a day, strengthening energy availability and enhancing supply reliability.

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​Strategic infrastructure for national development

​The OB3 pipeline, with a capacity of 2bn scf a day, serves as a backbone for gas infrastructure, linking the eastern gas network to the western network. It also extends connectivity to the northern corridor through the Ajaokuta-Kaduna-Kano (AKK) pipeline.

​NNPC Ltd group CE Bashir Ojulari said the successful traversal of one of the project’s most technically challenging sections has unlocked a critical link. He noted that this development will deepen domestic utilisation and support power generation and industrial growth across the country.

​Ojulari said the achievement builds on the company’s growing engineering and execution capabilities. It follows the successful AKK River Niger crossing in June 2025, delivering an even more complex crossing within the Niger Delta environment.

​”The completion of the OB3 River Niger crossing is a defining milestone for Nigeria’s gas infrastructure and a clear demonstration of what disciplined execution and sustained commitment to excellence can deliver,” Ojulari said. He attributed the success to innovative engineering solutions and the commitment of the NNPC teams and PCE Nig Ltd.

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​Enhancing regional and domestic energy security

​The group CE disclosed that the crossing is expected to unlock more than 500m scf of incremental gas supply for the domestic market in the near term. This will support industrial growth and gas supply to the West African market.

​The completion of the River Niger crossing is critical to achieving the federal government’s oil and gas production targets. These include 3m barrels of crude oil a day and 12bn scf of gas a day by 2030. The project ensures that Nigeria’s gas-producing regions are now physically interconnected with the rest of the country.

​Executed approximately 2km beneath the River Niger bed, the technically complex crossing was delivered using advanced horizontal directional drilling (HDD) technology.