Synopsis Of The 2017 National Gas Policy

SHORT-TERM ACTIVITIES(Timescale: months, up to 1year)

MEDIUM-TERM ACTIVITIES(Timescale: 1 to 2 years)

LONG-TERM ACTIVITIES(Timescale: over 2 years)

These are mostly institutional reforms within the remit of the MPR and Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) which can commence very soon and are reasonably expected to be completed within months, and in any event, no later than a year.These include: 

1.            Gas policy approval

2.           Communications strategy

3.         Legislation (drafting)

4.          Downstream gas regulations (drafting network code, DSO)

5.            Developing & finalizing PSC Gas Terms

6.          Studies and policies

7.        Gas flare commercialization programme

8.      Institutional restructuring

These include activities that will ordinarily take a little longer than short-term activities, to be completed. They are largely, but not completely, within the remit of the MPR and are mainly legislative and regulatory focused activities aimed at setting the framework for the growth of the gas industry and market.These include:

1.              International reviews

2.            Legislation (enactment of the petroleum industry legislation)

3.          Regulation (petroleum regulator, technical codes & standards, network code, cost benchmarking and tariff modelling etc.)

4.           Fiscal policy

5.           Studies and policies (implementation of LPG pilot projects etc.

6.           Institutional reforms (establishment of a national petroleum policy directorate within the MPR and establishment of an independent petroleum regulatory authority etc.

7.        Gas flare commercialization programme

8.       Industry restructuring

9.           Upstream (implementation of a gas resource management plan and updating the gas infrastructure blueprint etc. 

10.             Infrastructure (complete and commission OB3 pipeline link, make progress on the AKK pipeline project, and advance the Assa North & Ohaji South gas development plan)

These pertain to activities required to step up and implement the NGP in terms of infrastructure projects and growing both the Nigerian domestic and export gas market. Essentially, these activities will be needed after two years from the date the NGP was approved and became operational. It is envisioned that the legislative, regulatory, institutional and commercial framework would have been put in place.These include:

1.        Communications strategy (identification of potential strategic partners)

2.     Upstream (bring on new gas from dedicated gas fields from inland and offshore basins)

3.  Implement LNG downstream strategy

4.    Infrastructure (complete and commission AKK pipeline & build gas transmission backbone infrastructure)

5.      Complete establishment of wholesale gas market

6.    Institutional capacity building and training.