NNPC completes Niger River crossing with OB3 pipeline

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

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

NNPC

The company said 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, improving supply reliability and accelerating national economic development.

Performed approximately two kilometers beneath the bed of the Niger River, the national oil company said the technically complex crossing was carried out by the NNPC project team in collaboration with PCE Nigeria Limited, using advanced horizontal directional drilling (HDD) technology.

Praising the achievement, the Group Managing Director of NNPC Limited, Eng. Bashir Ojulari, described the achievement as a testimony of disciplined execution and technical excellence.

Ojulari said: “The completion of the OB3 Niger River crossing is a critical milestone for Nigeria’s gas infrastructure and a clear demonstration of what disciplined execution and an unwavering 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 improve the reliability of gas supply, deepen domestic use and support energy production and industrial growth across the country.”

Ojulari noted that the achievement builds on the growing engineering and execution capacity of NNPC Limited, drawing on the successful crossing of the Niger River by the AKK in June 2025, to deliver an even more complex crossing in the Niger Delta environment.

The GCEO also acknowledged the critical support of key stakeholders, saying: “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 program and commitment to an enabling business environment were instrumental in making this achievement possible.

“NNPC Limited also could not have achieved this feat without the trust and guidance of its Board of Directors, under the leadership of our Chairman, Eng. Ahmadu Musa Kida.”

Related