Page 12 - AfrOil Week 03 2021

AfrOil PIPELINES & TRANSPORT AfrOil

The shipments are expected to support indus- natural gas to major industrial users in Nigeria
trialisation efforts in the Ota, Igbesa and Agbara in line with the vision of the federal government
districts of Ogun while also extending SNG’s of Nigeria and the [strategy] of the group man-
distribution network to Badagry, a town in aging director of Nigerian National Petroleum
Lagos, it noted. Corp.,” he said.
Ed Ubong, the company’s managing director, Osagie Okunbor, the country chairman
stressed these points, saying: “This agreement of Shell companies in Nigeria, also struck an
will enable local industries to thrive and create upbeat note, asserting that the agreement
employment opportunities for Nigerians. We between SNG and NGMC would benefit the
look forward to continuing to grow domestic national economy. “Shell companies in Nige-
gas distribution to industries and manufactur- ria will continue to turn Nigeria’s domestic gas
ing plants in Ogun State and other parts of Nige- opportunities into reality through our strategic
ria while unleashing the industrial potential of intent to develop enough gas to meet our cur-
Badagry.” rent commitments and future growth plans,” he
Faruk Usman, NGMC’s managing director, commented.
pointed out that the deal with SNG was in line SNG is already active in Nigeria’s domestic
with the Nigerian government’s plans for boost- gas sector. It is working with partners and local
ing domestic gas consumption. stakeholders to deliver gas to industrial and
“We continue to work with credible partners commercial consumers in Abia, Bayelsa, Lagos,
to accelerate the marketing and distribution of Ogun, Oyo and Rivers states. ™

Kenyan MPs to seek update on

Uganda’s Entebbe terminal project

KENYA THE Kenyan National Assembly’s Public
Investments Committee (PIC) is gearing up to
seek more information about Uganda’s plans for
completing its part of a planned network of fuel
terminals on the coast of Lake Victoria.
According to Abdulswamad Sharif, the
chairman of the committee, said at the weekend
that legislators intended to contact the Ugan-
dan government with requests for more details
about the terminal project. The PIC will work
“through the normal diplomatic communica-
tion channel” to inquire as to whether Uganda
is committed to building and completing the
facility in Kisumu, he said.
Sharif explained that committee members
were concerned because Uganda had not yet
upheld its pledge to build a terminal in Entebbe To date, KPC has made limited use of the Kisumu terminal (Photo: Kenya Engineer)
to take delivery of fuel shipments from the Ken-
yan port of Kisumu. Kenyan facility ought to be shuttered. “It’s still
So far, he noted, state-controlled Kenya Pipe- too early to call the Kisumu oil jetty a white ele-
line Co. (KPC) has only been able to make lim- phant venture,” he remarked.
ited use of its own terminal in Kisumu because Kenya and Uganda began working to estab-
the corresponding facility on the Ugandan side lish an export corridor for petroleum products
is not ready. across Lake Victoria in 2013. KPC then began
In the meantime, he complained, Kenya’s construction of the Kisumu terminal in May
government must bear the expense of maintain- 2017 and finished work in March 2018. To date,
ing the Kisumu terminal. These costs amount to the facility has never delivered fuel to Entebbe
hundreds of Kenyan shillings each year, he said. by barge, as it was intended to do. Ugandan offi-
“If the Ugandan government tells us that cials had hoped to launch the Entebbe terminal
it did not have any intention of setting up the in January 2021, but they said last year that the
oil jetty, then ours automatically becomes an deadline would have to be postponed because
imprudent and reckless investment,” he added. of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. It is
He stressed, though, that his committee was not yet clear when the Ugandan facility will be
not yet in a position to determine whether the completed.

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