By Thompson ABISOLA
The Federal Government would deliver about 3.4 billion standard cubic feet of gas per day to bridge the medium-term supply gap by 2020.
The Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Dr Ibe Kachikwu, gave the assurance on Saturday at the 2018 Graduation of Petroleum Training Institute (PTI), Effurun, Delta.
The minister, who was represented at the event by Mr Idang Alibi, Media Officer of the ministry, said that Federal Government had decided to invest in the Seven Critical Gas Development Projects to achieve the feat in 2020.
He said that the government had commenced utilisation and monetisation of the abundant gas resources of the country.
“The Federal Government has doubled her efforts in providing effective policies that will drive gas utilisation and commercialisation.
“We have decided to invest in the Seven Critical Gas Development Projects in Nigeria. These projects will deliver about 3.4 billion standard cubic feet of gas per day to bridge the medium-term supply gap by 2020.
“Also, Federal Government is increasing attention to the eradication of gas flaring, utilisation and monetisation of the abundant gas resources of the country.
“This is in realisation of the place of natural gas as the energy of the future, although, it is not yet Uhuru as a substantial quantity of this precious resource is still being wasted through routine flaring,” he said.
Kachikwu said that two out of the 38 approved modular refineries would be inaugurated in December, 2018, one in Delta and the other in Rivers, to boost fuel supply in the country.
He also said that the government had set up a Steering Technical Committee to reposition PTI to take additional responsibilities toward meeting the targets for local content development in the oil and gas industry.
“President Muhammadu Buhari has directed that the PTI School of Diving should be upgraded to international standards. Efforts are ongoing to actualise the directives,” he said.
The Principal of PTI, Prof. Sunny Iyuke, said the institution would continue to deliver on its mandate as contained in the Act establishing it.
“I want to assure you that the Institute is on course to becoming the hub of human capacity development and contributing significantly to the Nigerian content in the petroleum industry,” he said.
The 1,086 graduands in the 2016/2017 academic session were awarded Higher National Diploma (HND), National Diploma (ND) and PTI General Welding Certificates.
A total of 637 graduated at HND level, 400 at ND level and 47 received the General Welding Certificate.
