NNPC completes River Niger crossing of OB3 gas pipeline

The Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited has completed the River Niger Crossing of the 130-kilometre Obiafu-Obrikom-Oben (OB3) gas pipeline.

The NNPC announced this in a statement issued on Thursday, April 30, 2026, noting that it was achieved by its subsidiary, the NNPC Gas Infrastructure Company (NGIC), marking a major milestone in the expansion of Nigeria’s national gas transmission network.

The company stated that the successful crossing unlocked the full potential of the OB3 Pipeline, a strategic infrastructure designed to transport up to 2 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 riverbed, the national oil company said the technically complex crossing was delivered by the NNPC project team working with PCE Nigeria Limited, using advanced horizontal directional drilling (HDD) technology.

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

Ojulari said: “The completion of the OB3 River Niger 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.

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“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 June 2025, to deliver an even more complex crossing in the Niger Delta environment.

The GCEO further 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 Gas-to-Prosperity 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.”