Nigeria’s state oil company, NNPC Limited, has announced a significant breakthrough in its gas infrastructure expansion with the successful completion of the River Niger crossing on the Obiafu-Obrikom-Oben (OB3) Gas Pipeline.
The project, executed by its subsidiary, the NNPC Gas Infrastructure Company (NGIC), involved laying pipeline infrastructure approximately two kilometres beneath the River Niger using advanced horizontal directional drilling (HDD) technology. The crossing marks a critical milestone in the 130-kilometre OB3 pipeline, designed to transport up to 2 billion standard cubic feet of gas per day.
According to the Group Chief Executive Officer of NNPC Limited, Bashir Bayo Ojulari, the achievement represents a major step forward in strengthening Nigeria’s gas transmission network and boosting energy reliability.
“The completion of the OB3 River Niger Crossing is a defining milestone for Nigeria’s gas infrastructure,” Ojulari said, noting that the project will enhance domestic gas utilisation, support power generation, and drive industrial growth across the country.
He added that the feat builds on the company’s earlier success with the AKK pipeline crossing completed in 2025, demonstrating improved engineering capability and project execution in complex terrains such as the Niger Delta.
The OB3 pipeline is a strategic national asset aimed at linking eastern and western gas networks, improving supply flexibility, and advancing Nigeria’s broader energy security goals.
Ojulari also credited the support of the Federal Government under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, stating that the administration’s Gas-to-Prosperity agenda has been instrumental in enabling key infrastructure projects.
NNPC reaffirmed its commitment to expanding gas infrastructure as part of efforts to meet the government’s ambitious targets of producing 3 million barrels of crude oil and 12 billion standard cubic feet of gas per day by 2030.
The completion of the River Niger crossing is expected to accelerate the operationalisation of the OB3 pipeline and further position natural gas as a key driver of Nigeria’s economic development.
