The NNPC Gas Infrastructure Company (NGIC), a wholly owned subsidiary of NNPC Limited, on Thursday, said it has completed $700m Obiafu-Obrikom-Oben (OB3) Gas Pipeline’s River Crossing.

The 10-kilometre infrastructure marks a major milestone in the expansion of the national gas transmission network.

The achievement, according to a statement by the Chief Corporate Communications Officer NNPC Ltd, Andy Odeh, will unlock the full potential of the OB3 Pipeline, a strategic infrastructure designed to transport up to two billion standard cubic feet of gas per day, significantly strengthening energy availability, enhancing supply reliability, and accelerating national economic development.

Executed approximately two kilometres beneath the River Niger bed, the statement said the technically complex crossing was delivered by the NNPC project team, working with PCC Nig. Limited, using advanced horizontal directional drilling (HDD) technology.

Commending the achievement, the Group Chief Executive Officer of NNPC Limited, Engr. Bashir Bayo Ojulari, described the milestone as a testament to disciplined execution and technical excellence.

He said: “The completion of the OB3 River Crossing is a defining milestone for Nigeria’s gas infrastructure and a clear demonstration of what disciplined execution and sustained commitment to excellence can deliver.

“By successfully traversing one of the most technically challenging sections of the project, we have unlocked a critical link that will enhance gas supply reliability, deepen domestic utilisation, and support power generation and industrial growth across the country.”

Ojulari noted that the achievement builds on NNPC Limited’s growing engineering and execution capability, drawing from the successful AKK River Niger Crossing in 2025, to deliver an even more complex crossing in the Niger Delta environment.

“This achievement is not incidental. It is the result of deliberately leveraging and upscaling our AKK engineering and execution excellence through rigorous project governance, innovative engineering solutions, and adaptive problem-solving, and the unwavering commitment of our teams and PCC Nig. Limited. The OB3 Pipeline is central to our ambition of building an integrated and resilient gas network that underpins Nigeria’s energy security and economic development.

“I commend everyone involved for their doggedness and for staying the course to deliver this strategic national asset,” he said.

The GCEO acknowledged the critical support of key stakeholders, stating: “We sincerely appreciate the continued support of the Federal Government under the leadership of His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, whose Renewed Hope Agenda and commitment to a conducive business environment have been instrumental in making this achievement possible. NNPC Limited could also not have achieved this feat without the trust and guidance of its Board of Directors, under the leadership of our Chairman, Engr. Ahmadu Musa Kida.”

Reaffirming NNPC’s national mandate, Ojulari said that the corporation remains committed to translating gas resources into a better standard of living for all citizens.

“We will continue to collaborate with our partners to deliver projects that expand energy availability, stimulate industrialisation, and improve the overall wellbeing of Nigerians,” he stated.

Ojulari expressed his appreciation to the host community for its consistent support toward the project, management and staff of NGIC for their doggedness in achieving the milestone; and PCC Nig. Limited for its professionalism, noting that the contractor’s innovative approach and disciplined workforce are pivotal to the project’s success.

The GCEO highlighted the significance of the milestone against the backdrop of the Federal Government’s oil and gas production growth targets of three million barrels of crude oil per day and 12 billion standard cubic feet of gas per day by 2030.

The River Niger crossing ensures that Nigeria’s gas producing regions are now physically interconnected with the rest of the country.

The OB3 Pipeline, with a capacity of two billion standard cubic feet per day, serves as a backbone gas infrastructure linking the Eastern gas network to the Western network and extending connectivity to Northern corridor through the AKK Pipeline.

In the near term, the successful crossing is expected to unlock over 500 million standard cubic feet of incremental gas supply for domestic market, supporting power generation, industrial growth, and gas supply to the West African market.

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