By Kehinde Ibrahim, Lagos
CHEVRON Nigeria Limited ‘CNL, and the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, NNPC, Gas Infrastructure Company Limited, NGIC, have signed a Network Entry Agreement, NEA), aimed at improving the efficiency, safety and reliability of gas transportation within Nigeria’s domestic gas network.
The agreement, executed under the framework of the Nigerian Gas Transportation Network Code, provides the contractual structure governing gas deliveries from Chevron’s Escravos Gas Plant into the Escravos–Lagos Pipeline System, ELPS. It also establishes operational procedures for coordination, information exchange and interface management between both parties to ensure seamless gas transportation.
The Network Entry Agreement creates the contractual framework required under the Nigerian Gas Transportation Network Code to regulate gas delivery operations and the exchange of technical and operational information between CNL’s Escravos Gas Plant and NGIC, the operator of the national gas transportation network.
Chairman and Managing Director of Chevron Nigeria Limited, Jim Swartz, said the agreement reflected the commitment of the NNPC/CNL Joint Venture to ensuring safe, efficient and reliable gas supply while supporting the country’s gas sector development objectives.
According to him, strengthening the operational interface between the Escravos Gas Plant and NGIC’s transportation network will improve the efficiency of gas infrastructure, enhance energy security and create sustainable value for Nigeria.
Swartz noted that the agreement aligns with ongoing efforts to deepen domestic gas utilisation and optimise the country’s gas transportation infrastructure through improved collaboration between gas producers and network operators.
Chief Corporate Affairs Officer of Chevron Nigeria Limited, Olusoga Oduselu, said Nigeria’s adoption of a standardised Network Entry Agreement framework places the country among jurisdictions with structured regulatory systems governing gas injection into national pipeline networks.
He explained that the framework provides a uniform approach for managing gas injection and offtake operations, while reinforcing the responsibilities of the Network Operator, NGIC, and delivery facility operators such as Chevron, which operates the NNPCL/CNL Joint Venture.
Oduselu added that the arrangement strengthens safeguards designed to ensure that gas introduced into the national pipeline network meets required operational standards and does not compromise the safety, integrity or efficiency of the gas transportation system.
The agreement is expected to support Nigeria’s ongoing efforts to expand gas infrastructure, improve operational coordination across the value chain and enhance the reliability of gas supply to industrial and commercial consumers.
