At a media parley in Abuja, Nigeria, last week, the Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Mele Kyari, said that the oil company is in talks with its partners of the construction of the Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG) Train 8.

NLNG operates a liquefaction complex that comprises of six complete liquefaction trains and associated facilities with a 22 million tonnes per annum (mtpa) capacity.

It is owned by the Federal Government of Nigeria who is represented by the NNPC with a shareholding of 49%, Shell Gas B.V. with a shareholding of 25/6%, Total Gaz Electricite Holdings France with 15% and Eni International N.A. N.V S.àr.l with a shareholding of 10.4%.

The Final Investment Decision (FID) for Train 7 was signed by the shareholders in December 2019, for the expansion of the complex to 30 mtpa, with the addition of an eight (8) mtpa train capacity.

The GMD said the NNPC is planning to establish gas hubs that would lead to the creation of other LNG projects. He emphasised that the Corporation is committed to monetising gas.

He said, “And because the PIB itself will ultimately come to pass where emphasis on gas, monetising gas, and creating the right fiscal environment for gas development, will lead to some more LNG projects.”

“But more quickly, as we have done FID on Train 7, we have already started speaking to our partners to go to train 8. And indeed, Mr. President’s question was that he was surprised that we are still on train 7.”

“He thought we should be talking about Train 8, and I agree with him absolutely because there was enormous room for us to improve.”

“But it’s not the number of train that is significant, it’s the volume of production that is important. For instance, the Train 7 is adding almost close to what the current trains are doing.”

“We will do this, we will push because this is the easy one and supply the gas and expand it, and of course, we are going to get more and more benefit.”

“More LNG facilities would lead to more jobs, more employment, more expansion of the economy. We agree with this and we are also chasing that appropriately.”