Ekpo says compressor to raise gas pressure for power generation, industries
Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja
The federal government has lauded Lee Engineering & Construction Company Limited, the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited and other stakeholders handling the Escravos-Lagos Pipeline System (ELPS) Midline Compressor Project for keeping to the project’s delivery timeline.
Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Gas), Ekperikpe Ekpo, gave the commendation during an inspection tour of the ELPS Midline Compressor Stations at Ologbo and Okada in Edo State, where he expressed satisfaction with the pace of work and urged all parties to sustain the momentum towards the successful completion and commissioning of the facilities.
Ekpo, who was accompanied by the Executive Vice President, Gas, Power and New Energy at NNPC Limited, Mr. Olalekan Ogunleye, and the Chairman of Lee Engineering & Construction Company Limited, Chief Leemon Ikpea, said the project remained central to the federal government’s drive to expand critical gas infrastructure and deepen domestic gas utilisation.
On his X handle yesterday, the minister stressed that strategic investments in gas transportation infrastructure were essential to unlocking economic growth, improving energy security and supporting Nigeria’s industrialisation agenda,
“ Ekpo expressed satisfaction with the progress recorded and commended NNPC Limited, Lee Engineering and all project stakeholders for maintaining the project’s delivery timeline. He urged them to sustain the current momentum to ensure the successful completion and commissioning of the facilities as scheduled.
“The minister reaffirmed the federal government’s unwavering commitment to expanding Nigeria’s gas infrastructure, noting that strategic investments in gas transportation infrastructure are critical to unlocking economic growth, enhancing energy security and deepening domestic gas utilisation,” he said.
According to the minister, the completion of the ELPS Midline Compressor Stations will significantly increase gas pressure along the Escravos-Lagos Pipeline System, thereby boosting the volume of gas transported to industries, commercial users and power generation plants across Lagos and other parts of western Nigeria.
He noted that the project would improve the reliability of gas supply to critical sectors of the economy while supporting the government’s objective of ensuring adequate gas availability for domestic consumption.
Ekpo reiterated his belief in those handling the project despite its technical complexity, urging them to sustain the current pace until the facilities are completed and commissioned.
The minister highlighted the federal government’s commitment to expanding Nigeria’s gas infrastructure, describing it as a key pillar for achieving sustainable economic growth and strengthening the country’s energy security.
The ELPS Midline Compressor Project is one of the major upgrades to Nigeria’s domestic gas transmission network as efforts intensify to complete one of Nigeria’s most strategic gas infrastructure projects.
With the ELPS II expansion doubling the pipeline’s nameplate capacity from about 1.1 billion standard cubic feet of gas per day to approximately 2.2 billion standard cubic feet per day, the installation of the midline compressor stations is expected to maximise utilisation of the existing infrastructure by increasing operating pressure along the pipeline.
The compressor project is designed to enable the existing network to transport significantly larger gas volumes without laying another transmission line.
According to the latest progress report submitted by the Nigerian Gas Infrastructure Company (NGIC) to the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), construction was 92.7 per cent complete in January 2026 and reached 94.88 per cent in May 2026.
Once operational, the compressor stations are expected to improve gas delivery to thermal power plants, cement manufacturers, fertiliser producers and other major industrial consumers that depend on the ELPS for their energy needs.