By Emmanuel Ogoigbe
Chevron Nigeria Limited (CNL) and NNPC Gas Infrastructure Company Limited (NGIC), a subsidiary of Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), have signed a Network Entry Agreement (NEA) to streamline gas delivery from the Escravos Gas Plant into the Escravos–Lagos Pipeline System.
The agreement establishes the contractual framework required under the Nigerian Gas Transportation Network Code to govern gas delivery operations, interfacing, and information exchange between CNL’s Escravos Gas Plant and NGIC’s pipeline network.
Jim Swartz, Chairman and Managing Director of CNL, said the agreement demonstrates the NNPCL/CNL Joint Venture’s commitment to safe and reliable gas delivery while supporting Nigeria’s broader gas development goals.
“By strengthening the interface between CNL’s Escravos Gas Plant and NGIC’s transportation network, we are helping to enhance energy security, infrastructure efficiency and long-term value creation for Nigeria,” Swartz said.
The NEA is part of Nigeria’s broader implementation of a uniform framework for gas injection and offtake across the national pipeline system. According to Olusoga Oduselu, Chief Corporate Affairs Officer, CNL, the development places Nigeria among countries with standardized frameworks governing central gas pipeline operations.
“By establishing this common gas injection and offtake framework, the NEA reinforces the critical gatekeeping role of the gas Network Operator, NGIC, and delivery facility operators — like CNL, as operator of the NNPCL/CNL Joint Venture — in ensuring that incoming gas does not compromise the safety, integrity, or efficiency of the national gas network,” Oduselu noted.
The Escravos–Lagos Pipeline System is a key artery in Nigeria’s domestic gas supply network, transporting gas to power plants, industries, and other consumers in the southwestern region.
The agreement is expected to improve operational coordination between upstream gas suppliers and the national transportation network, supporting Nigeria’s drive to expand domestic gas utilization under the “Decade of Gas” initiative.
