About 1.43 million tonnes of liquefied natural gas left the shores of Onne Ports in Rivers State in February in about 23 vessels.
This volume of export was valued at N250.5 billion. The NewsTelegraph reports.
This was in contrast to January’s 13 vessels which ferried out 860,002 metric tonnes of natural gas valued at N150.8 billion ($321.2 million) from Onne Port.
According to the report, the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) said that it would team up with the Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG) Limited in a bid to increase natural gas production capacity by 36 per cent.
The vessels left LNG facility in Bonny Island between February 1 and 26, 2021.
Data by the NPA’s shipping position revealed that the vessels, which lifted gas at the port include Gaslog Chelsea with 66,000 tonnes; Gaslog Savannah, 68,750 tonnes; LNG Abalamabie, 72,000 tonnes; LNG Lagos II, 72,000 tonnes; LNG, Bonny II, 72,000 tonnes; LNG Borno, 66,000 tonnes; LNG and Rivers, 63,000 tonnes.
Others are LNG Adamawa, 63,000 tonnes; Methane; Lydon Volney, 66,000 tonnes; LNG Finma II, 70,000 tonnes; MSC Maria, 63,000 tonnes; LNG Kano, 66,000 tonnes; LNG Sokoto, 63,000 tonnes.
Cape Ann, 66,000 tonnes; Abuja , 72,000 tonnes; Madrid Spirit,61,341 tonnes; Nohshu Casablanca, 79,707 tonnes; LNG Benue, 66,000 tonnes; LNG Lokoja, 66,000 tonnes; LNG Ogun, 66,000 tonnes; SCF melampus, 70,000 tonnes; LNG Bayelsa, 63,000 tonnes and LNG River Niger, 66,000 tonnes.
The Executive Director, Marine and Operations, Onari Brown, had disclosed that the authority has decided to partner NLNG in increasing natural gas production from 22 million tonnes to 30 million tonnes per annum.
Representing the Managing Director of NPA, Hadiza Bala-Usman, Brown quoted Bala-Usman as saying that the authority was ready to offer necessary collaborative support to the NLNG in achieving the goals of its Train 7 projects, which will increase Nigeria’s liquified natural gas production capacity by 36 per cent from the current 22 million tonnes per annum to 30 million tonnes per annum.
Bala-Usman said: “This expansion will ensure that Nigeria, with its significant gas reserves considered the ninth largest in the world remains atop, reliable and the preferred supplier of LNG in the ever expanding energy market.”
Speaking further, Bala-Usman explained that there was need for the deep seaports to accommodate larger vessels and improve port services.
“We are also conscious of the current limitation of our seaports in relations to the growing appeal of larger vessels, which should be deployed for the purpose of economies of scale.
“This is why we are very keen in the construction of deep seaports. Two of those are currently under construction in Lekki and Badagry with prospect of another one in Ibom.
“These ports will enhance our capacity to export more gas to our growing global client base with better turn around,” she said.
Meanwhile, NLNG said it had delivered 5,000 LNG cargoes around the world in 21 years and delivered 23 dedicated LNG ships to ensure a smooth operation.
The company’s General Manager, External Relations and Sustainable Development, Mrs Eyono Fatayi-Williams, said: “We buy gas, we liquefy it, we transport it and sell it to the buyers and get value for Nigeria LNG and for Nigeria.
