Page 6 - GLNG Week 28 2021

GLNG AFRICA GLNG

TotalEnergies Nigeria urges Abuja

to invest in gas transport options

PIPELINES & A representative of France’s TotalEnergies has rail is considered in the rail network, so that a lot
TRANSPORT urged Nigeria’s government to explore multiple of pressure can be taken off the road [and] that
options for the transportation of natural gas. these cargo rails can transport the LNG [and]
Maryam Shehu, the general manager of CNG from one location to the other,” she said.
administration for deepwater projects at Shehu further stressed that her company
TotalEnergies Nigeria, noted at an industry supported Abuja’s efforts to promote domes-
conference last week that Abuja was investing tic consumption of gas. To date, subsidiaries of
heavily in infrastructure as it moved ahead with TotalEnergies have signed three supply agree-
domestic gasification initiatives. She also recom- ments within the framework of this programme, In some
mended, though, that the government work to she said.
open up road and rail transport routes, as well She also reported, though, that implementing locations, she
as pipelines. these agreements had been difficult. Since Nige-
In some locations, she said, the best way to ria has not yet fully developed its gas value chain, said, the best
bring gas to consumers is to use trucks instead suppliers have a hard time finding takers for
of pipelines. This may be especially true, she their product, she stated. In turn, she said, lack way to bring gas
remarked, for stranded assets – that is, for gas of demand makes upstream operators reluctant to consumers
fields that are too small to justify the construc- to invest in gas production.
tion of pipeline branches. In these cases, she These problems can only be resolved if is to use trucks
said, the government should focus on building steps are taken to expand the market for gas,
and maintaining roads that are strong enough she argued. This may involve raising aware- instead of
to support truck movements. Tanker trucks that ness of gas and gas-derived fuels among
are capable of carrying LNG are heavy and can potential customers or offering industrial pipelines.
cause damage to roads that are not reinforced, organisations incentives to switch to gas, she
she noted. said.
She also urged Abuja to expand the scope If demand rises, production will also expand,
of its railway development and rehabilitation she added. “What is quite critical is that the
programme to include LNG and CNG cargoes demand for gas has to increase to be able to
as well as passengers. Doing so would help to increase production or to enable the fact that a
reduce the amount of stress on the national lot of investments that have been made in the
road network, she explained. Nigerian railways upstream segments of the value chain will be
“should be optimised in such a way that cargo recouped in time,” she explained.™

P6 www. NEWSBASE .com Week 28 16•July•2021