Oil & Energy

Gas As Ultimate Resource For Power Generation

Published

13 years ago

June 18, 2012

Gas utility as a major resource for electricity generation is beginning to take the fron-tis-piece in Nigeria’s power sector. The product before now was limited to providing cheap energy for cooking but its necessity and impact in power generation has become so significant that the problem of regular electricity supply in this country can only be aggressively addressed with the use of gas.

There is increasing interest among Federal and State Governments as well as companies towards absolute utilisation of gas to facilitate electricity generation.

The Federal Government’s focus now is on how to increase gas supply to power plants in this country through the aggressive execution of the on-going 12 –month gas emergency time line to fire the gas-to-power scheme.

On its part, the Kwara State Government is already discussing with some investors that would use gas to generate electricity for the state. The Governor, Abiola Ajimobi acknowledged the importance of gas pipeline to the development agenda of his administration, when the House of Representatives Committee on Petroleum (Downstream) led by its Chairman, Hon. Dakuku Peterside visted him at Ibadan recently on oversight function to assess NNPP facilities there. Peterside directed that faulty gas pipelines should be repaired without delay.

The managing Director, Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC), Mutiu Sunmonu said Shell is taking adeguate steps to improve gas supply to power plants in the country, pointing out that the company’s Utorogu Gas Plant in Ugheli, Delta State currently products 250 million standard cubic feet per day (mmscf/d) while work is going on at a new plant designed to increase capacity to about 510 mmscf/d which will have significant impact on power generation.

While the Ministry of Power Resources, Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), International Oil Companies and the Nigeria Gas Company (NGC) are making efforts to bridge the gap in gas supply, the Managing Director of Niger Delta Power Holding Company (NDPHC), Mr. James Olotu says the delivery of the 1,025 megawatts into the national grid would be dependent on the availability of gas. He said that many power stations across the country are facing gas constraints which is being already addressed by the Federal Government.

According to him, Omotosho Power Plant has commenced operation and 70 megawatts added to National Grid through the plant, noting that in Sapele power station, only one unit can be fired, out of the three units because of gas constraints. With its unending complaints and sharp practices among the staff, the Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN) is owing the Nigeria Gas Company an over N40 billlion for gas supplied.

In 2010, government’s efforts at improving power supply got a boost with the commencement of gas supply to PHCN facilities through the NGC and via the Pan Ocean Oil Corporation (POOC), operator of the NNPC Pan Ocean Joint Venture. POOC currently supplies 50 million standard cubic feet per day (mmscf/f) of gas to the NGC from its Ovade-Ogharefe gas processing plant.

Pan Ocean managing Director, Mr. Festus Fadeyi once said. “We are very pleased that Pan Ocean is leading the flare-out agenda of the Federal Government and has commenced supply of gas to increase power generation to the national electricity grid”.

Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG), Brass Managing Director, Mr. Vincenzo Diloriuzo noted that there is enough gas in the country to ensure the success of the LNG project.

Government has over the time showed lack of political will in the issue of gas flare. Gas flare has negative effect on man and environment yet nothing was done, it takes a strong political will to actualise the gas-to-power agenda of the present administration vis-à-vis adequate generation, distribution and transmission of electricity through availability of sufficient gas. At the moment, gas produced for local consumption has grown to 930 million standard cubic feet per day (mmscf/d) and power generation from gas is more than 1829 megawatts.

Nigeria is adjudged the world’s 7th largest producer of high grade gas with zero per cent sulphur and rich in natural gas liquids with proven huge reserves of more than 182 tonnes per cubic feet, so our gas capacity should be enough to achieve the gas-to-power aspiration of the Federal Government, and make gas readily available to industrial customers that should in turn generate accelerated growth of manufacturing. We have a number of oil and gas companies that control a considerable share of the gas distribution here in the country and generally the gas market worldwide.

Utilising such companies maximally will facilitate the country’s power projects.

Not just international oil companies should participate in the gas project but indigenous firms should be given priority attention or consideration. Gas to power distribution is the boost the country actually needs now and there must be a corrupt –free national strategy for managing the gas revenues.

In his Democracy Day nationwide broadcast, President Goodluck Jonathan announced the government’s plan to ensure reliable power supply through the judicious implementation of the power sector road map which is at an advanced stage to fully privatise the generation and distribution of electricity to all levels of the country.

According to him, his administration is committed to the provision of regular and uninterrupted power supply, which he said remains unwavering, adding “we all agree that adequate and regular power supply will be the significant figure to enhance transmission with capacity and accelerate growth. It is for this reason that I remain optimistic that the reform we have initiated, the decisions we have taken so far and the plans we intend to strictly prosecute will yield desired result”.

He disclosed that to underline this commitment, a special session on power was convened to engage Custain Construction Company in contracting for gas production and delivery to ensure enough availability of power.

The President directed that the power sector reform was concluded on schedule and that the privatisation of the sector will be completed according to plan. The privatisation process, he noted, has attracted expression of interest from 131 companies across the globe.

The Federal Government has a two-point approach to the power agenda which are immediate repair of power plants as well as transmission and distribution of infrastructure in the short term and the building of power stations and provision of enablance to attract investors. It is also committed to accelerating the completion of the National Independent Power Project (NIPP) while building about 4,000 Kilometers of transmission lines and hundreds of substations, just as the design for the construction of hydro-power plants which will add about 3,000 megawatts to the national grid has been completed.

The National gas Emergency plan has not helped the problem of gas supply due to poor planning.

One yardstick to measure the level of development of any nation is its power generating capacity. Power is a critical element as it drives growth and development.

In Nigeria, generating adequate power to drive the economy has been a nagging problem and the problem continues to be insurmountable as efforts by previous governments could not yield the desired results. The availability of reliable electricity power to homes and businesses of our citizens has been one item in our national life that we have approached with so much hope and yet experiencing so much frustration over the past decades.

In recent decades, subsequent regimes have put in billions of naira to reverse the neglect and mismanagement which has characterised the power sector. The President Jonathan-led administration has expressed the commitment to bring an end to the nation’s stunted growth and usher in the fresh air of prosperity by pursuing a new era of sector-wide reform, which is driven by improved service delivery to every class of customer in the Nigeria electricity sector.

This prompted Jonathan to set up the Presidential Action Committee on Power, which he explained was to eliminate bureaucracy and inefficiency in decision-taking. He expressed the hope that the power sector reforms would succeed like that of the telecommunications sector.

Gas fired plants had been established across the country, capable of generating between 25,000 megawatts and 30,000 MW and many investors have indicated interest to invest in the power sector, so the problem of lack of gas to run existing power plants must be resolved to ensure that sufficient gas is available for more power plants that are being planned.

Nigerians are complaining that in spite of poor power supply, they are paying high electricity bills and they are expecting the government to quicken the installation of pre-paid meter in every household so that people pay for what they consume. A good number of Nigerians are also expecting President Jonathan to make a difference and to be the first leader to permanently solve the power problem in this country.

There are challenges which if not properly addressed by the government could truncate the growth plans in the gas to power initiative which include funding, regulations, sanctity of contract and community issues amongst others. The government must look into them critically and urgently too. A situation where local finance institutions are not able to muster the finance for gas sector investment even after the capitalisation exercise is totally unacceptable and will not urgur well for the sector.

Shedie Okpara

Oil & Energy

Hedge Funds Turn Bearish On Oil, Bullish On Natural Gas

Published

1 month ago

March 17, 2025

The Tide

Traders have not been this bearish on oil in months or so bullish on United States natural gas in years.
The latest data on money managers’ positioning in the WTI and Brent crude and U.S. natural gas futures showed two contrasting trends—speculators are betting that oil prices would remain low or go even lower while increasing the bets that natural gas prices would continue marching higher.
So far this year, geopolitical and supply and demand factors have been increasingly bearish for the oil price outlook and increasingly bullish for natural gas prices.
In the oil market, hedge funds and other portfolio managers have been slashing their bullish bets since the end of January, when the U.S. sanctions on Russia’s oil trade were the primary bullish driver of managed money to bet on a tightening market.
With U.S. President, Donald Trump, now in office, the sentiment has quickly soured amid the president’s insistence on lower oil prices, his efforts to broker an end to the war in Ukraine, and – most of all – the enormous uncertainty about on-and-off tariffs and tariff threats and their potential impact on the American economy.
As a result, market participants are preparing for lower oil prices, even amid expectations of declining oil supply from Iran and Venezuela due to President Trump’s hawkish policy toward these OPEC producers.
Speaking of OPEC, the wider OPEC+ group has just said it would begin increasing supply as of April, adding further downward pressure on prices.
Faced with all these bearish drivers, money managers have been reducing their bullish bets on crude oil futures, with the U.S. WTI Crude hitting the lowest net long position – the difference between bullish and bearish bets – in 15 years at the end of February.
In the week to March 4, the latest reporting week with data released on March 7, speculators bought WTI amid a major selloff in all other commodities except for U.S. natural gas.
The net long in WTI rebounded from the 15-year low, but it wasn’t because the market suddenly started betting on higher prices going forward. The rise in WTI buying and the net long was the result of short covering in the U.S. crude futures contract.
In Brent, hedge funds cut their bullish-only bets in the week to March 4 for the biggest decline in longs since July 2024.
Unlike in crude oil, money managers have become increasingly bullish on U.S. natural gas after inventories dipped this winter to below the five-year average as demand surged in the coldest winter for six years.
The net long in natural gas further swelled in the week to March 4, as the number of new bullish bets was four times higher than the new short positions.
“Natural gas continues to benefit from rising demand, both domestically in the US and towards exports via LNG,” Ole Hansen, Head of Commodity Strategy at Saxo Bank, said, commenting on the latest Commitment of Traders report.
At the start of the winter heating season in November, U.S. natural gas inventories were higher than average for the time of the year as America entered the season with stocks at their highest level since 2016.
These stocks, however, were quickly depleted during the coldest winter for six years, with demand for space heating and power generation soaring. A month before the end of the winter heating season, U.S. natural gas inventories have now slumped to below the five-year average and well below the levels from the same time in 2024, at the end of a mild winter.
The lower inventories and the higher demand – both for domestic consumption and LNG exports – have pushed prices higher, encouraging producers to boost gas output this year. Traders bet that prices will go even higher as demand from LNG plants is set to accelerate with the ramp-up of new U.S. export plants.
Paraskova writes for Oilprice.com.

By: Tsvetana Paraskova

Oil & Energy

Renaissance Finalises Acquisition Of SPDC

Published

1 month ago

March 17, 2025

The Tide

Renaissance Africa Energy Holdings says it has successfully completed the acquisition of 100 percent equity holding in the Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria (SPDC).
Spokesperson of the company, Tony Okonedo, who disclosed this in a Press Release, Last Thursday, said Renaissance has completed all processes for the full transfer of ownership of SPDC to the consortium, adding that it will now operate as Renaissance Africa Energy Company Limited.
“Renaissance Africa Energy Holdings today announced that it has successfully completed the landmark transaction between itself and Shell for the acquisition of the entire (100%) equity holding in the Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria (SPDC).
“This follows the signing of a sale and purchase agreement with Shell in January 2024 and obtaining all regulatory approvals required for the transaction. Going forward, SPDC will be renamed as ‘Renaissance Africa Energy Company Limited.
“Going forward, SPDC will be renamed as ‘Renaissance Africa Energy Company Limited’.
“Renaissance Africa Energy Holdings is a consortium consisting of four successful Nigerian independent oil and gas companies: ND Western Limited, Aradel Holdings Plc. FIRST Exploration and Petroleum Development Company Limited and the Waltersmith Group, each with considerable operations experience in the Niger Delta, and Petrolin, an international energy company with global trading experience and a pan African outlook”, the statement reads.
Speaking on the acquisition, the Managing Director/CEO, Renaissance Africa Energy Holding,Tony Attah, said Renaissance Africa Energy Company Limited has a vision to be the leading oil and gas producer in Africa and to help the continent achieve energy security.
Attah expressed gratitude to the Federal Government for its support and pledged the company’s commitment to the Petroleum Industry Act.
“We are extremely proud to have completed this strategic acquisition. The Renaissance vision is to be ‘Africa’s leading oil and gas company, enabling energy security and industrialization in a sustainable manner’.
“We and our shareholder companies are therefore pleased that the Federal Government has given the green light for this milestone acquisition in line with the provisions of the Petroleum Industry Act”, he said.
The CEO acknowledged the contributions of Nigeria’s Minister of Petroleum Resources, the Nigeria Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), and the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) in facilitating the deal.
He said, “we extend our appreciation to the Honourable Minister of Petroleum Resources, the CEO of the Nigeria Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), and the CEO of Nigeria National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) for their foresight and belief, paving the way for the rapid development of Nigeria’s vast oil and gas resources as strategic accelerator for the country’s industrial development”.
The Statement further revealed that Renaissance partner companies collectively have an asset base of more than $3 billion and currently safely produce approximately 100,000 barrels of oil per day (bpd) from 12 oil mining leases and operate two functioning modular refineries in Nigeria’s Niger Delta.

Oil & Energy

Oil-Rich Communities Must End Infighting To Access Dev Funds – FG

Published

1 month ago

March 17, 2025

The Tide

The Federal Government has cautioned oil-rich communities against infighting and disruption of oil production, saying it could hinder their access to the Host Community Development Fund.
Minister of State for Petroleum (Oil), Heineken Lokpobiri, made the appeal while speaking at the KEFFESO Stakeholders Forum, in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State.
Lokpobiri noted that the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) was enacted to bring stability to the oil sector and address longstanding grievances about underdevelopment in host communities.
He lamented, however, that internal disputes among stakeholders have made it difficult for these communities to access and utilize the funds meant for their development.
Lokpobiri insisted that host communities must overcome internal conflicts that hinder their access to the funds.
“This KEFFESO Stakeholders Forum is to see how host communities can maximize the benefits from the Host Communities Trust Funds as prescribed by the PIA.
“If oil production is disrupted, everyone loses — the Federal Government, oil companies, and the host communities themselves. That is why host communities must collaborate with the government and oil companies to ensure smooth operations” Lokpobiri stated.
The Minister called on Host Community Development Trusts (HCDTs) in the Niger Delta to effectively utilize the 3% operational funds allocated to them under the PIA 2021 to drive sustainable development.
He further called that oil-producing communities should take ownership of the oil and gas facilities within their domains and work with relevant stakeholders to ensure sustainable benefits.
“As stakeholders who have their respective stakes in oil and gas operations in the country, we should work together to ensure that we maximize the benefits of oil and gas.”
The minister also emphasized the global push for cleaner energy, warning that the relevance of fossil fuels depends on their extraction and marketability.
“Don’t forget there is a global campaign against the continuation of production of fossil fuel.
“Fossil fuel will never go away. Fossil fuel will not have any value unless you bring it out of the ground or from the sea to the market, that is why we need this collaboration,” he said.
In his remarks, the Executive Secretary, Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB), Engr. Omotsola Ogbe, reaffirmed the board’s commitment to leveraging the provisions of the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Development (NOGICD) Act.
Represented by the Board’s Director of Legal Services, Naboth Onyesoh, Ogbe noted that the NCDMB’s Community Content Guidelines were designed to ensure sustained community engagement as local content is prioritized throughout the oil and gas value chain.
Ogbe praised the KEFFESO Host Community Development Trust for its efforts in ensuring that oil revenues benefit local communities.
Also speaking, the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, First E & P, Ademola Adeyemi-Bero, described the KEFFESO Stakeholders Forum as a crucial platform for discussing and strategizing solutions to the challenges facing marginalized communities in the Niger Delta.
He reiterated the company’s commitment to fostering meaningful and sustainable development in the region.
The forum, themed “Envisioning Sustainable Community Development in Niger Delta Host Communities: Identifying Challenges and Actualising The PIA Paradigm Shift,” brought together key stakeholders to discuss strategies for maximising the benefits of the Petroleum Industry Act(PIA).