By Emmanuella Anokam
(NAN) Frazimex Engineering Limited, a subsidiary of Oilserv Group says sections of the Obiafu–Obrikom–Oben (OB3) gas pipeline are currently transporting 300 million standard cubic feet of gas per day.
Mr Chuka Eze, Managing Director, Fraimex Engineering Ltd. said this to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on the sidelines of the just concluded Nigeria International Energy Summit (NIES) 2026, in Abuja.
The 9th edition of NIES was with the theme, “Energy for Peace and Prosperity: Securing our Shared Future”.
According to Eze, in view of domestic gas development, Oilserv Group of Companies has played a central role in the delivery of critical gas infrastructure across Nigeria.
He said that the OB3 gas pipeline, a 48-inch, 124-kilometre line linked to a gas processing facility, had the capacity to treat two billion standard cubic feet of gas per day.
“Sections of the project constructed by the Oilserv Group have been commissioned and currently flowing about 300 million standard cubic feet per day.
“Gas from the OB3 pipeline will feed into the Ajaokuta–Kaduna–Kano (AKK) gas pipeline project corridor once final back-end works and system integrations are completed,” he said.
On the status of the AKK gas pipeline, Eze disclosed that 100 per cent of the mainline welding was completed in December 2025, marking a major milestone for the project.
“Other major projects include the Assa North–Ohaji South (ANOH) gas development, featuring a 36-inch, 23-kilometre pipeline and manifold, commissioned in May 2025 and currently supplying gas to Seplat”.
The Fraimex boss also dismissed concerns about Nigeria’s technical capacity, stating that the detailed engineering for the AKK pipeline and ANOH projects were executed entirely by Nigerian engineers.
He said that over 200 multidisciplinary engineers worked on the AKK design, describing it as proof that in-country expertise can deliver complex energy infrastructure.
“While Nigeria has no shortage of gas-related policies, including the Federal Government’s Decade of Gas initiative, progress has been slow due to gaps in execution, investment, and infrastructure delivery,” he said.
He expressed regret that in spite of Nigeria’s vast natural gas endowment of over 210 trillion cubic feet (tcf), access to gas for electricity generation and industrial use remained limited.
He, however, underscored the urgent need for decisive action rather than additional policies.
“The gas that will drive industrialisation is not the gas still underground. It is the gas that has been extracted, processed, and transported to where it is needed.
“Unlocking the economic benefits of gas requires urgent upstream investment to bring reserves to the surface, supported by adequate funding and infrastructure development and available market,” he said.
Eze said that Nigeria already had the engineering capacity, market demand and population growth required to absorb domestic gas supply.
According to him, credible Engineering, Procurement, and Construction (EPC) contractors exist to bridge the infrastructure gap.
“What is needed now is action, especially decisions around funding, so projects can move from plans to reality,” he said.
He identified gas pricing as a major deterrent to investment, noting that investors require clarity on returns before committing capital to gas development projects.
He, however, expressed optimism that reforms were underway, revealing that discussions at the Gas Master Plan session indicate that a new pricing framework could be unveiled in the coming weeks.
Eze said that Oilserv adopted an inclusive approach by integrating host communities into project execution through training, employment, and service provision.
He said that the AKK project engaged over 100 communities with locals trained in welding and technical skills to promote ownership and reduce conflict.
Acknowledging financing as a major challenge, he said that Oilserv had expanded its business model beyond traditional EPC contracting to offer EPCIC+F, Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) and Build-Own-Operate-Transfer (BOOT) options to support project developers.
He said that Oilserv ran a structured graduate development programme, recruiting 20 young engineers annually into a two-year training cycle to build sustainable local capacity.
“Our belief is that Nigerians and Africans must be equipped to deliver these critical projects and export that expertise beyond our borders,” he said.(NAN)(www.nannews.ng)
Edited by Kadiri Abdulrahman
