Nigeria is sure of meeting gas requirements in 2013

The Federal Government announced that it was now sure of meeting the gas requirements to support the production of 15 GW (or 15,000 MW) by 2013.
Inadequate gas supply had been a major setback to the provision of electric power in the country and attempts to get international oil companies (IOC's), to dedicate gas to the project had not been very successful.

Speaking on the implementation of the gas master plan in Abuja, Minister of State for Energy (Gas), Mr Odein Ajumogobia, disclosed that 48 companies from across the world had defied the gloomy global economic indices to express interest in investing in Nigeria's gas sector. Among the prospective investors, he said, are European utility and gas companies, some national oil companies from Asia, indigenous companies and some of the existing IOCs.
He said an evaluation team had already been set up to review the submissions and make recommendations soon.

Noting that the domestic gas supply obligations of investors would raise domestic gas availability from the current 1 bn cfpd to 5 bn cfpd, Ajumogobia said: "With that volume of gas in the domestic market, we will be able to support about 12-15 GW of electricity generation by 2013, at least 2-3 fertiliser plants and a similar number of ethanol plants, paving the way for Nigeria to establish itself as the regional hub for gas-based and petro-chemical industries."
He however warned those IOCs that have failed to show satisfactory progress in meeting their obligations, saying, "The Federal Government will not take kindly to such and, following the review of the plans so far submitted, I will be instructing the DPR to take all necessary and possible actions in respect of IOCs that default in their obligations."

According to him, "It is essential for all stakeholders to take the Federal Government's aspiration to provide energy for economic growth seriously. It is not a negotiable demand."
Enumerating the criteria for the evaluation of the interested companies with a view to pre-qualifying them to getting the core investors, he said they would be in two stages. One is the capacity to lead projects of this nature, and calibration of the shortlisted from stage 1 based on national strategic aspirations.

Ajumogobia however assured that companies that are not eventually shortlisted were not excluded from participating in the investment process.
He made it clear though that the Federal Government's emphasis on domestic gas supply did not mean it would renege on its international supply obligations.