Page 6 - AfrOil Week 41 2022

AfrOil PIPELINES & TRANSPORT AfrOil

NMGP project could be approved next year

MOROCCO/NIGERIA A $25bn plan to build a natural gas pipeline crisis caused by the Russia-Ukraine war. The
from Nigeria to Morocco could be approved scheme has been under consideration since
next year, the head of Nigeria’s state oil company 2016, when Morocco’s King Mohammed VI and
has revealed. “We will take a final investment Nigeria’s President Muhammadu Buhari began
decision next year,” Mele Kyari, group CEO of discussion.
Nigerian National Petroleum Co. Ltd (NNPCL), Earlier this year, OPEC said it would fund
told Bloomberg. the project’s feasibility study and front-end engi-
Kyari also noted that discussions on the Nige- neering design (FEED). ™
ria-Morocco Gas Pipeline (NMGP) scheme
were ongoing. “We have seen the opportunity
to bring back every gas pipeline project that you
can think of,” Kyari said. “It is a matter of who
needs it and who’s ready to pay for it.”
Rabat and Abuja signed a memorandum of
understanding (MoU) on September 15 on the
NMGP project, which aims to make fuel avail-
able for power generation and provide energy
to African countries that are home to nearly
500mn people. It will also help export African
gas into Europe, thereby offering European
states an alternative to Russian gas following the
invasion of Ukraine.
The pipeline, if built, would be 5,600km
long. It would deliver gas to 11 countries before
reaching Europe, likely via Spain or Italy. It is
predicted that the project will cost $20-25bn,
over a construction period of eight years. Con-
struction would be broken down into phases,
with the first taking three years and the other
stages taking five years.
The pipeline would help resolve the energy
accessibility issues in most of the countries
on the route. It also aims to contribute to the
development of critical sectors, including food
security, infrastructure, mining, renewable
energy and human development. Among other
objectives are promoting regional integration,
advancing social and economic development,
reducing gas flaring and exports to Europe.
Support for the project has risen in the past
months because of the current global energy EACOP will have a capacity of 216,000 bpd (Image: Petroleum Authority of Uganda)

Namibia, Zambia sign agreement on

private-sector construction of fuel pipe

NAMIBIA/ZAMBIA NAMIBIA and Zambia have signed an agree- (NAZOP), is slated to begin at Namibia’s Walvis
ment to facilitate private-sector construction of Bay on the Atlantic Ocean coast. The pipeline
a pipeline to move refined petroleum products will be able to transport 100,000-120,000 bar-
from the former country to the latter, reports rels per day (bpd) of refined fuels, according to
said on October 7. the Namibia Economist, which cited remarks by
The Namibia-Zambia Multi–Product Namibia’s Minister of Mines and Energy Tom
Petroleum and Natural Gas Pipelines Project Alweendo.

P6 www. NEWSBASE .com Week 41 13•October•2022