Business

Domestic Gas Supply To GenCos Rises By 20.2% In Q1’21

Published

3 years ago

September 8, 2021

Domestic gas supply to gas fired generating plants (GenCos) across the country rose significantly by 0.51million standard cubic feet per day (mmscfd) to 2,505mmscfd in the first quarter (Q1) of 2021.
This is 20.2 per cent increase when compared to 2,000mmscfd recorded in the corresponding period of 2020, data contained in the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Financial and Operations Report for the month of April, 2021 has shown.
According to the report, a total of 795mmscfd was delivered to gas fired power plants to generate an average power of about 3,416MW of electricity in April, 2021.
It was gathered that this is a decline of 6.0 per cent when compared 844mmscfd supplied in March, 2021 to generate 3,530MW.
The generation sub-sector includes 23 grid-connected generating plants in operation with a total installed capacity of 10,396MW (available capacity of 6,056MW) with thermal-based generation having an installed capacity of 8,457.6MW (available capacity of 4,996MW), and hydropower having 1,938.4MW of total installed capacity with an available capacity of 1,060MW.
However, the report also indicated that a total of 2,355mmscfd of gas was sent to the generating plants in the fourth quarter of 2020, an increase of six per cent when compared to Q1’2021.
A breakdown of gas distribution figures showed that a total of 209.27Billion Cubic Feet (BCF) of natural gas was produced in the month April, 2021, translating to an average daily production of 6,975.72mmscfd.
For the period April, 2020 to April, 2021, a total of 2,902.52 BCF of gas was produced representing an average daily production of 7,369.76mmscfd during the period.
Period-to-date Production from Joint Ventures (JVs), Production Sharing Contracts (PSCs) and NPDC contributed about 62.07 per cent, 19.95 per cent and 17.98 per cent, respectively, to the total national gas production.
According to the NNPC report, out of the 206.40BCF of gas supplied in April, 2021, a total of 126.83BCF of gas was commercialized; consisting of 42.92BCF and 83.91BCF for the domestic and export market, respectively.
This translates to a total supply of 1,430.90mmscfd of gas to the domestic market and 2,976.94mmscfd of gas supplied to the export market for the month.
This implies that 61.45 per cent of the average daily gas produced was commercialized while the balance of 38.55 per cent was re-injected, used as upstream fuel gas or flared.
Gas flare rate was 9.74 per cent for the month under review.
Total gas supply for the period April, 2020 to April, 2021 stood at 3,081.77 BCF out of which 548.34 BCF and 1,398.78 BCF were commercialized for the domestic and export market respectively.
Gas re–injected, fuel gas and gas flared stood at 1,134.64 BCF.
“Out of the 1,430.90mmscfd of gas supplied to the domestic market in April, 2021, about 794.79mmscfd of gas representing 54.54 per cent was supplied to gas-fired power plants while the balance of 636.11mmscfd or 44.46 per cent was supplied to other industries”.
Similarly, for the period of April, 2020 to April, 2021 an average of 1,313.32mmscfd of gas was supplied to the domestic market comprising an average of 778.76mmscfd or (59.30%) as gas supply to the power plants and 534.55mmscfd or (40.70%) as gas supply to industries.
The Federal Government has stated that plans are underway to reduce the price of gas for power generation companies in the country.
This, according to the Minister for Industry, Trade and Investments, Otunba Adeniyi Adebayo, was geared towards boosting the manufacturing sector competitiveness which has been hampered by power electricity supply.
Speaking at a roundtable discussion on the industrialisation of Africa organised by the Manufacturers’ Association of Nigeria (MAN), Adebayo, noted that Africa contributes less than two per cent to international trade, pushing it to the bottom of the global value chain.
He said this led to lower export trade volumes, lost job opportunities and reduced foreign exchange for players in the continent’s real sector.
According to him, all stakeholders need to work together towards developing measures to improve the cost competitiveness of the manufacturing sector in order for Nigerian industries to lead the transformation of the country and Africa’s economy.
Adebayo said, “For example, we are collaborating with the Ministry of Petroleum Resources to lower the cost of gas which is critical to the production of the energy sector. This is one factor that can improve the cost competitiveness of the sector.
“Another way that Nigerian industries can position themselves for the African economic transformation is by aligning themselves with the country’s industrialisation programme.”
Despite the rise in domestic gas supply, Nigerians have continued to lament over the epileptic power supply across the country.
The former President, Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN), Mr Frank Jacobs, stated, “It is possible to gauge the loss suffered by manufacturers arising from paucity of electricity supply and high cost of alternative energy source. Capacity utilization in the sector has barely been above 50 per cent.
“This implies that the production has been sub-optimal; production value in the sector was estimated at N8.38trillion in 2016. Another way of measuring the loss to manufacturers as a result of the challenges of electricity supply is by looking at the huge cost of alternative energy which was estimated at N129.95billion as at 2016.
“Even though the sector, especially the distribution aspect has been privatised, it is important that government should find ways and means of supporting the DisCos until a stable, quality and reasonably priced electricity is available to the manufacturing sector.
“There is need for government to continue to offer integrated support to all stakeholders on the NESI value-chain i.e. manufacturers, GenCos, TCN, and DisCos in terms of finance and expertise.”
A trader in Olodi-Apapa, Kazeem Onoja, said power supply was good when he moved to the area about eight years ago.
According to him, “Then, public power supply from PHCN was quite okay, we were having between 14 and 20 hours of power supply on most days. We knew their schedule – the days we are meant to have supply and the days we would not have except a major fault occurred.
“Power supply has steadily deteriorated as the area developed and more people come into the neighbourhood”.
On her part, Executive Secretary, the Association of Power Generation Companies (APGC), Joy Ogayi, said, “To bridge the gap between demand and supply of power, there is need for all parts of the power chain to be fully effective to bring about the installed capacity of 13,200MW to hungry consumers.
“However, this is not the case in the power sector in Nigeria.”

Business

Expert Tasks Government On Civil Maritime Security Unit

Published

2 days ago

February 5, 2025

The Tide

As part of measures to ensure safety along waterways in Rivers State, a Marintime safety and security expert, Capt. Eke Ifeanyi Laurence, has called for the establishment of a civil maritime And Safety unit in the state.

Laurence, who said this in an exclusive interview with The Tide in Port Harcourt, said the unit should be stationed in jetties across the state.

He said the outfit will not only check insecurity along the maritime environment, but also create both direct and indirect jobs for the teeming unemployed youths of the state.

“My message to the Governor of the state is for the State Government to help train the youths on maritime safety and security, and engage them positively”, he said.

He argued that once this is done the happenings along the waterways, especially the incessant boat mishaps and piracy will be reduced to the barest minimum.

“All of you know about what is happening now, every day you wake up, the first news you hear is boat mishaps.

“Boat capsizes in Bonny, boat capsizes in Nembe, boat capsizes in Andoni. Boat mishaps all over the state and people are dying every day and goods worth millions being lost.

“So, I want the present Government to train our youths and establish a civil maritime safety and security unit. It will be all over the jetties”, he stated.

Lawrence stated the benefits of the proposed agency to include, monitoring and enforcement of compulsory wearing of lifebuoys or life jackets by boat passengers and drivers, generation of over twenty thousand direct and fifty thousand indirect jobs, and bringing the benefits of the Federal Government’s blue economy programme to the state.

He said Rivers State, which is the second largest maritime state in the country after Lagos, should be able to upgrade safety along its maritime environment to international standard, noting that the trend of sea piracy along the Gulf of Guinea is on the rise

According to him, “Rivers State should play a crucial role in preventing the citizens from dying, and goods from getting lost every day”.

The expert, who is the President of El Bravo Marine And Coast Guard Services Limited, said the proposal will also check the incessant fire incidents in Nembe waterside that have cost many lives and other water fronts in the state.

John Bibor

Business

Bayelsa Recommits To Infrastructure, Sectoral Dev … Rakes In N227.185b From IGR

Published

2 days ago

February 5, 2025

The Tide

The Bayelsa State Government has expressed willingness to continue infrastructure and sectoral development of the state under the leadership of the Senator Douye Diri-led “Prosperity Assured” administration.

Speaking to newsmen, last Friday, in Yenagoa, the state capital, during the October–December 2024 monthly transparency briefing, the State Commissioner for Information, Strategy and Orientation, Mrs. Ebiowou Koku-Obiyai, said the exercise became imperative as Government was ready to update the citizenry on the income and expenditures of the state.

She noted that all ongoing projects under the Governor Diri-led administration would be completed, urging citizens of the state to see and appreciate efforts the Government was making in the provision of critical infrastructure projects and sectoral development in all spheres of the state.

“Transparency briefing, so far so good, is all about reporting back to the citizens of the state the income and expenditures of the Government under the watch of our Dear Governor, the distinguished Senator Douye Diri.

“As a Government we’ve a direction, and if you watch closely you’ll better understand where the Government is going. We’ve earmarked critical projects to execute and key among these projects is the nine storey, new State Secretariat complex, which would make workers more productive and their jobs more worthwhile.

“We’ve issues with power, and very soon we’ll also have our own independent power plant to solve the problem of incessant power blackout in the state”, she said.

Rendering stewardship of financial accruals to the State for the three months of October, November and December 2024, the State Commissioner for Finance, Mr Maxwell Ebibai, gave details of the receipt and expenditures.

He said in October, Statutory allocation was N509milliin, Derivation was N8.335million, VAT N5.291billion, exchange rate gains -N11.28billion, non-oil revenue – N905m, electronic transfer levy -N175m, while total gross inflow from the Federation account allocation committee (FAAC) for the month, according to the Commissioner, amounted to N26.514billion, just as he said FAAC deductions gulped 1.735b.

He noted that, total net inflow after FAAC deductions stood at N24.779billion, while other receipts were N86.431billion, making sum total of receipt in the month N101.2billion, with outflows gulping a total of N16.971billion.

Ebibai also declared net balance upon the outflows as N94.238billion, noting that actual recurrent payment took N5.284billion, capital expenditure totalled N38.355billion, while the sum total of both capital and recurrent expenses made in the month amounted to N43.64billion, and balance after capital and recurrent expenditures stood at N50.598billion.

The Finance Commissioner further stated that total balance carried from September to October was N135.446billion, while balance at the close of November was N186.44billikn respectively.

In November, according to the Finance Ministry, gross receipt from FAAC was N37.982,141,546billion, while deductions at FAAC gulped N1.734billion, leaving balance after FAAC deductions at N36.247,717,577billion.

Other receipts for the month of November, including Internally generated revenue (IGR), was N39.254,383billion; cumulative receipt from FAAC and other receipts for the month stood at N75.5billion, while total outflows in November, was N24.275billion; balance before capital and recurrent expenses stood at N51.226billion; the balance after capital and recurrent expenses was N8.302billion; actual capital expenditure gulped N35.8billion; actual recurrent expenditure took N7.1billion, making the sum total of capital and recurrent expenses N42.9billion.

“Balance brought forward from October was N186.44billion, total balance as at the end of November was N194.346billion. Balance at the end of December receipts and expenditures ended in the negative.

“Gross receipts from FAAC in the month stood at N52.269billion, statutory deductions was N1.783billion, revenue from IGR and other sources totalled N35.990billion, while sum total of receipts in the month amounted to N86.476billion.

“Outflows gulped N17.543billon, balance from FAAC and other receipts before capital and recurrent expenses was N68.932billon, while actual capital expenditure took N62.8billion, recurrent expenditure gulped N6.889billion, bringing total expenditure for the month of December to a total N69.7billion, leaving a negative balance of N773million.

“Balance brought forward from November was N194.3billion, total balance as at January 2025 is N193.573billion”, the Finance Commissioner declared.

Ariwera Ibibo-Howells, Yenagoa

Business

NDYC Seeks NDDC Commercialisation … Uncompleted Projects Completion

Published

2 days ago

February 5, 2025

The Tide

A non-governmental organization, the Niger Delta Youth Coalition, (NDYC), is set to write to the National Assembly for amendment of the Act establishing the Niger Delta Development Commission, (NDDC) to enable it go into the establishment of large scale farming, to meet up its huge financial needs in developing the region.

Founder and National Co-ordinator of the NDYC, Prince Emmanuel Samuel Ogba, who disclosed this in an interview in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, said if amended, it would enable the NDDC to be commercialized in various sectors of its activities, particularly in agriculture, for internal generation of funds to augment its soaring financial needs.

Prince Ogba, an economist and politician, said to this end, his organization would send a private bill to the National Assembly seeking to amend the 2001 Act establishing the NDDC.

He noted that with the present economic challenges in the country, and to provide food for the populace, there is urgent need for the NDDC to be empowered by law to go into agriculture.

Ogba said, “if this happens, it would also provide more employment opportunities for the youths, as most of them would work in the farms, including staff of the Commission”.

The NDYC boss expressed the belief that such additional funds would enable the NDDC to partner with other relevant organizations in agriculture and also help in completing uncompleted projects executed by the NDDC several years ago by past managements of the Commission.

Prince Ogba recalled that by analysis some years back, the NDDC required about five trillion Naira as against a budget of N1.9trillion to complete numerous uncompleted projects of the Commission, adding that such situation was an impediment to its efforts to meet the increasing challenges to accomplish an integrated development of the peoples of the Niger Delta region.

He, however, applauded the present management of the NDDC led by Samuel Ugbuku for carrying out the completion of projects that were not completed by the commission.

He noted that with the NDDC going into food production and processing of farm produce, in a space of three years, the Niger Delta region would have enough food for the region to feed its over thirty million people and the rest of the country.

The current management of the NDDC has completed and commissioned a considerable number of uncomplete projects across the nine states in the region with its mandate to facilitate the rapid, even, and sustainable development of the Niger Delta into a region that is economically prosperous, socially stable, ecologically regenerative and politically peaceful, to offer a lasting solution to the socio-econimic difficulties of the Niger Delta region.