The Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Gas), Ekperikpe Ekpo, has praised the efforts of indigenous oil and gas firm, Lee Engineering & Construction Company Ltd, in advancing the Federal Government’s drive towards increased gas utilisation across Nigeria.
Ekpo gave the commendation during an inspection visit to the company’s compressor station projects at Ologbo in Ikpoba Okha Local Government Area and Okada in Ovia North East Local Government Area of Edo State, where Lee Engineering is handling the construction of the Escravos-Lagos Pipeline System (ELPS) Phase III project for the Nigeria National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd).
The Minister expressed satisfaction with the level of progress achieved at the facilities, describing the company as a competent and committed Nigerian firm capable of contributing significantly to the country’s gas development agenda.
He said the work carried out within the past three years demonstrated Lee Engineering’s capacity and readiness to support the Federal Government’s ambition of making gas more available for domestic consumption and industrial growth.
The ELPS Phase III midline compressor project is an Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) initiative being executed by Lee Engineering & Construction Company Ltd.
The project, regarded by industry stakeholders as one of the largest midline gas compression facilities in Africa, is located along the existing ELPS pipeline right of way and upon completion, the facility is expected to support the transportation of about 2.2 billion standard cubic feet of gas daily through the ELPS pipeline to Nigerian domestic consumers and the West African market, supporting electricity generation, industrial expansion and improved monetisation of Nigeria’s gas resources.
Speaking after inspecting the facilities, Ekpo commended Lee Engineering for relying largely on Nigerian professionals in executing the project.
“Looking around, I have not seen any expatriate, but only Nigerian engineers are involved in building this place, which means we are ready and willing to take the destiny of our country to an enviable level.
“I want to tell the NNPC that a contractor who is living up to date and to expectations should be recognised and engaged in the next gas projects, make sure you take advantage and engage them in future endeavours.
“I’m informed that this is within three years, it’s massive, it takes a lot of dedication and readiness to work with the Federal Government to achieve the need to make gas available to our people. We are in the era of gas, and I want to say I’m impressed,” he said.
In his response, the Group Chairman of Lee Engineering & Construction Company Ltd, Dr Lee Ikpea, thanked the minister for visiting the project sites and expressed commitment to supporting Nigeria’s energy development.
Ikpea disclosed that several components used in constructing the compressor stations were produced at the company’s factory, adding that the facilities were designed to operate for between 30 and 40 years.
“As a Nigerian, I am prepared to make sacrifices for the country to grow. I realised that nobody will develop the country for us. This project is to showcase this,” Dr Ikpea added.
