By Gladys Afam-Anadu
Shell Nigeria Gas (SNG) is making the case for gas as it continues to power Nigeria’s aspiration to monetise the resource and drive industrialisation. Currently serving more than 150 clients across Nigeria, SNG has hooked up two more customers, Intercontinental Distillers Limited II and Rumbu Industries Limited at Agbara, Ogun State this year.
The company has also executed Gas Sales and Purchase Agreements with two other customers; Boskel Nigeria Limited and Bluefinn Global Resource Limited in Rivers and Bayelsa states respectively. SNG hopes to win more customers to the path of gas. The value proposition is simple: Gas is good for business.
It was the same proposition that led to the establishment of SNG in 1998. Since then, it has remained the only IOC-owned gas distribution in Nigeria, now operating a gas transmission and distribution network of over 138km and several distribution systems including Agbara-Ota Cluster in Ogun State, the Aba Cluster in Abia State and the Port Harcourt Cluster in Rivers State. The company recently increased its gas distribution capacity by over 150% ensuring its networks can supply over 150 mmscf/d of dry processed gas to more than 300 industrial customers.
“SNG means business,” Managing Director Ralph Gbobo says. “We add value to everyday life as our operations positively impact people in many ways, including ceramics, fast moving consumer goods such as cosmetics and beverages, glass, packaging, plastics, chemicals, steel, power and gas retail.”
SNG works to provide gas to industrial and commercial customers in support of Nigeria’s gas-led industrialisation agenda and looks to reach emerging markets in Bayelsa and Anambra states. The strategy is simple and practical, with potential customers encouraged to compare the cost of diesel and gas on the company website. With a click on the “Gas Volume Calculator” customers can easily convert their “present diesel generator volume to its gas generator equivalent.” The result will remove any doubt that gas is good for business.
An indication of interest by a customer begins a partnership and a series of engagements ranging from concept to stable operations. The process enables efficient delivery — from project conception and commercial agreements to construction, connection, and commissioning —helping businesses expand production, optimise costs, and compete effectively. Every connection is delivered with safety of people, communities and asset and sustainability at its core.
Beyond the website, SNG engages customers in business and investment fora, with a session already held in Port Harcourt, following on from an earlier one in Awka, Anambra State. The forum in Port Harcourt was attended by a wide range of stakeholders including representatives from the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), the Bank of Industry, the Rivers State Investment Promotion Agency, the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (Rivers and Bayelsa chapters), the Port Harcourt Chamber of Commerce and the Niger Delta Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Trade, Mines and Agriculture.
SNG officials presented insights into the company’s role within the gas value chain, infrastructure footprint and ongoing expansion plans, particularly in Rivers State. They highlighted the economic and environmental advantages of natural gas relative to alternative energy sources such as diesel, and outlined investment opportunities in gas distribution, industrial supply and power generation.
Perhaps, the strongest case for gas was made by Idaere Gogo Ogan, Board Chairman of the Niger Delta Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Trade, Mines and Agriculture, represented by the Board Secretary Chief Solomon Edebiri. He said over 500 companies in the Niger Delta had ceased operations in recent years adding: “Effective utilisation of gas can significantly reshape industrial practices and revive business activity in the region.” A highlight was the execution of the Gas Sales Agreements with Boskel Nigeria Limited and Bluefinn Global Resource Limited which further strengthened SNG’s footprints in the Niger Delta.
This is just as the hook-up of Intercontinental Distillers Limited II and Rumbu Industries Limited reinforces the critical role of SNG in advancing Nigeria’s energy transition and the Federal Government’s Decade of Gas agenda. The new connections were enabled by a collaborative partnership between SNG, NNPC Gas Marketing Limited (NGML) and the customers.
Executives from the newly connected companies expressed appreciation for SNG’s role in enhancing their operational capabilities and business performance through reliable and affordable energy supply. Gbobo said: “By working with our customers, SNG continues to unlock new economic opportunities and strengthen Nigeria’s industrial base while reinforcing the company’s commitment to delivering sustainable energy solutions.” It means the campaign for gas has just started.
Gladys Afam-Anadu is Manager, Communications of Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Company Limited (SNEPCo).