As the 3rd Steering Committee meeting of the Trans-Sahara Gas Pipeline Gas Project (TSGP) kicked off yesterday in Abuja, the Federal Government has assured all partners that the multi-billion, 3000 km long project would have no problem about gas stock, as Nigeria has kept a gas reserve feed for the project proposed to be concluded in 2015.
Making the position of the Federal Government known during the opening ceremony of the 2-day meeting, the Minister of State for Energy (Gas), Mr. Emmanuel Odusina had noted that the most pressing challenge to the TSGP was the issue of gas supply.

“It is my pleasure to state here that the TSGP gas supply challenge was resolved early this by the findings of a team of experts from Nigeria and Algeria that investigated the issue. Adequate reserves have been set aside for the TSGP for the first 25 years of operation. I believe this development will pave the way for a rapid development of the project,” he said.

Odusina informed the meeting that feasibility study of the giant project was concluded in 2006 after the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and SONATRACH (Algerian national oil company) appointed PENSPEN/IPA Energy Consulting of UK and said it was a very viable project technically and economically.

“The TSGP conceived by the two governments of Nigeria and Algeria, is set out to achieve the following: the integration of the economies of the sub-region, eradication of poverty; wealth creation and the improvement of living standards of the people of the sub-region. It is also expected that the implementation of the project will be a major component of the fight against desertification through the provision of a suitable alternative to the use of biomass fuel as energy source in the transit countries,” he explained.

The meeting which will address a press conference today is expected to have in attendance, Algerian Minister of Mines and Energy, Dr Chakib Khalil and that of Niger, Mohammed Abdulahi.