• Gas supply from OML 17 doubled to 135 million scf/day

• Power plants’ output rose from ~100 MW to over 350 MW

• Boost improved Niger Delta power but long-term stability remains uncertain

Power production has increased in Nigeria's Niger Delta due to more gas being supplied from the OML 17 block, operated jointly by state-owned NNPC Ltd and local firm Heirs Energies, local media reported on Thursday.

According to the reports, the two partners said the recommissioning of a non-associated well doubled gas supply to approximately 135 million standard cubic feet per day. This intervention increased volumes for the power grid without the cost and delay of a new drilling campaign.

These volumes were directed to power plants operated by TransAfam Power, First Independent Power Limited, and Geometric Power. This development has led to improved electricity generation in an area regularly faced with supply fluctuations.

Data published by Heirs Energies on its corporate website shows that TransAfam Power's output rose from about 50 megawatts (MW) to over 180 MW, with peaks reaching 200 MW.

According to data cited by the press quoting the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), more than 62% of the zone's available power capacity could not be used in 2024, partly because these plants received insufficient or irregular gas supplies.

The infrastructure now delivers a combined total of more than 350 MW, compared to about 100 MW before the intervention. The question remains whether this improvement can be sustained, given the persistent challenges of the Nigerian power system. Its sustainability depends on both a regular gas supply and the ability of the national grid to stably transmit the electricity produced.

Abdel-Latif Boureima