OpeOluwani Akintayo
Lagos — The federal government of Nigeria is currently hunting for investors for the Brass Liquefied Natural Gas project, 17 years after it was abandoned.
Timipre Sylva, the country’s Minister of State for Petroleum Resources who spoke during an inspection of the project site in Twon Brass, Bayelsa State, according to a statement issued in Abuja on Sunday by his media aide, Horatius Egua, said the government was looking for investors to revive the stalled gas project.
The minister, who inspected the Brass LNG site with the management of Greenville LNG, an interested investor in the Brass project, said the Federal Government wants to complete the project due to the economic benefits it would bring to the country.
According to Sylva, the Federal Government would give the project top priority in line with its decade of gas policy.
He was quoted as saying, “You know the direction of the government as far as gas is concerned. We want to use gas as a transition fuel and also to use it to diversify our economy.
“You know that with gas you can get so many things and I have said that we can truly diversify our economy through the gas.”
The Brass LNG, which has train 1-4 concept, with an annual projected capacity of 8.4 million metric tonnes, was initiated in 2005 with the groundbreaking ceremony performed by former President Olusegun Obasanjo on May 14, 2007.
Sylva was joined on the tour of the project site by the Chairman and Managing Director of Greenville LNG, Eddy Van Den Broeke, and Ritu Sahajwalla, respectively.
Sylva acknowledged the challenges faced at executing the project in the past, adding that the government would do everything possible to encourage Greenville LNG to invest in the multi-billion-dollar Brass LNG project.
“We want this project to pull through this time and we will do everything possible to ensure that the Final Investment Decision is taken as soon as possible,” he stated.
The minister added, “Greenville LNG is a major player in this sector, and we know that they are committed to ensuring that the takeoff of this project is achieved.
“We will continue to discuss and offer the necessary incentives to get this project off the ground,” he said.
Follow us on twitter
