Nigeria Content Online

Gas supply to key
power plants in the country currently stands at about one billion
standard cubic feet, according to Diezani Alison-Madueke, the Minister
of Petroleum Resources, who described the volume as the highest all
time capacity.

Mrs. Alison-Madueke
told members of the Senate and House of Representatives Joint
Committees on Gas Resources at the weekend that her ministry was
committed to ensuring regular electricity supply nationwide, adding
that with gas supply at the highest level, the traditional power plants
would not have any problem generating electricity for the people.

Though she said her
immediate concern was how to sustain this level of gas supply through
the repair and maintenance of the nation’s gas infrastructure, she
added that the short term plan was to stabilise power supply in the
country to such a level that would enable consumers plan their
businesses with some level of predictability.

Apart from ongoing
short term projects designed to facilitate the injection of about 325
million standard cubic feet per day to the national gas production
level by the end of 2010, she said the federal government was exploring
other means of boosting gas supply in the country.

On the
implementation of the National Gas Master Plan, Mrs. Alison-Madueke
said it would be moved into the operations stage where it would create
a basis for sustained growth in the sector.

Osita Izunaso, the
chairman of the Senate Committee on Gas Resources, said that the Joint
Committee’s decision to invite the minister was to enable them share
her views which will ensure that the executive and legislative arms of
government do not work at cross-purposes, as well as put the gas sector
on the right footing.

Igo Aguma, the
chairman of the House Committee on Gas Resources, said the Joint
Committee felt that it needed to be updated on critical issues in the
sector such as the level of the implementation of the Gas Master Plan
and the current state of Brass and Olokola Liquefied Natural Gas
projects.

The lawmakers also sought to know the state of the finances of the
Nigerian Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG) in Bonny Island, Rivers State,
and lodgment of revenues realised from the export of the commodity as
well as the profit realised from government’s investment in the project.