The Federal Government has revealed that gas production in Nigeria is steadily increasing, moving from 7.5 billion cubic feet (bcf) per day towards a target of 12 bcf per day.
According to The PUNCH, this update was disclosed by the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Gas, Ekperikpe Ekpo, during a recent briefing in Lagos.
Ekpo emphasized that his primary focus in the second year of his term is to increase gas production and position Nigeria as a gas-driven economy, aligning with the Decade of Gas initiative.
“In the Decade of Gas, we are looking at turning Nigeria into a gas economy by 2030, in which case, we are looking at growing from 7.5 billion cubic feet to about 12 bcf. So, we are progressing in that direction to make sure we have gas sufficiency in the country,” he explained.
Since gas was designated as Nigeria’s transition fuel by the Federal Government, there have been concerns over the sustainability of production levels.
However, Ekpo reassured the public that more gas would be produced, especially as international oil companies shift their operations to deep-water regions.
“The sustainability plan is all about producing more gas from the gas resources,” Ekpo noted confidently.
He added, “You know that some of the IOCs are moving now from the shallow water to the deep water where you have a huge gas deposit. So, with the commitment of President Bola Tinubu, there is that assurance that we will have sufficient gas to sustain what we are looking at.”
Nigeria’s proven gas reserves currently stand at 209.26 trillion cubic feet, according to data from the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission.
Meanwhile, Nigerians continue to express concern over the increasing cost of cooking gas, which has risen to approximately N1,300 per kilogram, up from less than N1,000 in June.