The Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC)Limited has completed the River Niger crossing of the Obiafu-Obrikom-Oben gas pipeline.
This milestone development unlocks a critical segment of the country’s gas transmission network and paves the way for increased supply to power plants and industries.
Announcing the development in a statement issued on Thursday by the Chief Corporate Communications Officer of NNPC Ltd, Andy Odeh, the company said the milestone effectively activates the full capacity of the 130-kilometre OB3 pipeline, designed to transport up to 2 billion standard cubic feet of gas per day.
The feat, delivered by the NNPC Gas Infrastructure Company, a subsidiary of NNPC Ltd, involved drilling approximately two kilometres beneath the River Niger using advanced horizontal directional drilling technology, a method deployed in complex engineering terrains, the statement added.
The company noted that the completion would, in the near term, unlock over 500 million standard cubic feet per day of additional gas supply for the domestic market, with positive implications for electricity generation, manufacturing, and exports.
The Group Chief Executive Officer of NNPC Ltd, Bayo Ojulari, described the crossing as a turning point for Nigeria’s gas infrastructure drive.
Ojulari explained that the achievement was built on earlier engineering successes, particularly the River Niger crossing on the Ajaokuta–Kaduna–Kano (AKK) pipeline project completed in 2025.
He added that the OB3 pipeline remains central to Nigeria’s ambition of building an integrated and resilient gas network.
