NNPC Limited Completes OB3 River Niger Crossing, Unlocks 2 Bscf/d Gas Pipeline

By Victor Idajili

NNPC Limited has achieved a major breakthrough on the Obiafu-Obrikom-Oben (OB3) Gas Pipeline after its subsidiary, NNPC Gas Infrastructure Company (NGIC), successfully completed the River Niger crossing.

The 130-kilometre OB3 pipeline is designed to transport up to 2 billion standard cubic feet of gas per day. The River Niger crossing unlocks the pipeline’s full capacity, boosting domestic gas supply, strengthening power generation, and supporting industrial growth.

NGIC executed the crossing in partnership with PCE Nig. Limited, deploying advanced horizontal directional drilling technology to bore about two kilometres beneath the River Niger.

Group Chief Executive Officer of NNPC Limited, Engr. Bashir Bayo Ojulari, called the milestone “defining” for Nigeria’s gas infrastructure.  

“This achievement strengthens domestic gas utilisation, power generation, and industrial expansion, while demonstrating our growing technical capability,” Ojulari said.  

He said the success built on lessons from the AKK River Niger Crossing in 2025 and was driven by disciplined execution, innovation, and strong project governance.

Ojulari credited President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Gas-to-Prosperity agenda, the NNPC Board led by Engr. Ahmadu Musa Kida, host communities, and project partners for their support.

The OB3 pipeline links Nigeria’s eastern and western gas networks and will connect to the northern corridor via the AKK pipeline. In the near term, it is expected to deliver over 500 million standard cubic feet of additional gas to the domestic market, enhancing power supply, industrialisation, and regional gas trade.

NNPC Limited reaffirmed its commitment to expanding gas infrastructure to drive economic growth and improve living standards nationwide.