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Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Gas), Ekperikpe Ekpo, met with a delegation from the Brass Petrochemical and Gas Project. The project is slated to be located in Bayelsa State, and the delegation was led by its Managing Director, Chief Ben Okoye, and Dr. Salihu Jamari, the Chief Gas and Power Investment Officer of NNPC Ltd.
During the meeting, Minister Ekpo reaffirmed the federal government’s commitment to supporting private sector investments aimed at harnessing the country’s gas potential for the benefit of the economy and its citizens. This commitment aligns with the broader national goal of utilizing gas-based investments to drive industrialization and commercialization, in line with President Bola Tinubu’s vision.
Minister Ekpo also emphasized the importance of collaboration between the gas producer, SPDC JV, and the promoters of the Brass Petrochemical and Gas Project to ensure a seamless supply of gas for the project. He urged both sectors to work closely together to meet the aspirations of the government and facilitate the availability of feedstocks for gas-based investments and industrial projects.
“The feeling of Mr. President is that anything that has to do with gas production and commercialization and industrialization should be encouraged and given priority; I will like the two sectors to be more cordial,” Ekpo stated.
Ben Okoye, the Managing Director of the Brass Methanol project, informed the minister that the project’s team had decided to separate the gas and methanol components, treating them as distinct projects. He expressed optimism that once approval is obtained from the Board of Brass Petrochemical, the project would commence in March of this year, with a projected completion date in the first quarter of 2027.
Okoye further explained that the gas pipelines had been designed for expansion from Train one to Train 3 and beyond, with the capability to carry 980 million standard cubic feet (mmscf), despite an initial capacity of 340 million mmscf for the Gas Plant.
Ed Ubong, the SPDC representative at the meeting, provided assurance to the Minister that they were fully committed to the project and committed to fulfilling their gas supply obligations.
Additionally, former Minister of Information and Communications, Frank Nweke Jnr, who also sits on the board of the Brass Petrochemical project, called for stronger political leadership from the government to ensure the successful realization of the project. He highlighted the significant benefits it would bring, including additional revenue generation for the government, increased forex availability, and job creation for Nigerian citizens.
