Sopuruchi Onwuka

Seplat Energy Plc has announced the commencement of commercial operations at its long-awaited Asa North and Ohaji (ANOH) Gas Processing Plant, marking a major milestone for Nigeria’s domestic gas sector.

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The indigenous energy company, listed on the Nigerian Exchange Limited and the London Stock Exchange, confirmed that the 300 million standard cubic feet per day (MMscfd) ANOH facility has delivered first gas following completion of the 11-kilometre offtake pipeline linking the plant to Indorama’s gas facilities. The Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) has approved the commissioning of the project.

The ANOH gas project represents an investment of about $300 million and is the first of seven critical gas development projects identified by the Federal Government to reach operations.

Chief Executive Officer of Seplat Energy, Roger Brown, described the project as a significant achievement for both the company and the country.

“ANOH is an important strategic project for Seplat, our partner NGIC, and Nigeria as a whole,” Brown said. “Completing this project required a great deal of commitment and hard work, particularly in an area of the onshore Niger Delta with limited gas pipeline infrastructure. This is our third major onshore gas processing facility and it increases our joint venture gross gas processing capacity to over 850 MMscfd.”

Brown said the project would generate material income for Seplat, lower the company’s carbon intensity, and support its target of reaching 200,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day by 2030. He added that ANOH would expand energy access for Nigerians by supplying gas for power generation and clean cooking fuel, while contributing to economic development in host communities.

Oracle Intelligence reports that Seplat is one of Nigeria’s leading indigenous energy companies and a major supplier of natural gas to the domestic market.

The ANOH Gas Processing Plant is located in Oil Mining Lease (OML) 53 and is operated through ANOH Gas Processing Company (AGPC), an incorporated joint venture between Seplat Energy and the Nigerian Gas Infrastructure Company (NGIC), a subsidiary of Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited.

ANOH is among the largest onshore gas facilities operated by Seplat, alongside its gas plants at Oben in OML 4 and Sapele in OML 41. Beyond gas, the company operates interests in eleven oil and gas blocks across onshore and shallow water assets in the Niger Delta, in joint venture with the Nigerian government and other partners.

Seplat also holds operating interests in three export terminals — the Qua Iboe Export Terminal, the Yoho Floating Storage and Offloading (FSO) vessel, and the Bonny River Terminal — and operates offshore natural gas liquids recovery plants at the Oso and EAP production sites.

The company confirmed that AGPC began supplying gas to Indorama under firm and interruptible Gas Sales Agreements on Friday, January 16. Four upstream wells that had been on standby since November have now been brought online to provide steady feed gas to the plant.

Since first gas, production has stabilized at between 40 and 52 MMscfd of processed gas delivered to Indorama’s petrochemical plant. Condensate output has reached between 2,000 and 2,500 barrels of oil equivalent per day and is expected to rise as the facility ramps up toward its full design capacity of 300 MMscfd.

Preparations are also underway to commence gas sales to Nigeria LNG (NLNG) under an interruptible offtake arrangement, which will support further scaling of production. Meanwhile, construction of the OB3 export pipeline by NGIC — originally planned as the primary evacuation route for ANOH gas — has resumed, with a revised completion date to be announced.

The ANOH plant comprises two 150 MMscfd gas processing trains, LPG recovery units, condensate stabilization units, a 16-megawatt power plant, and supporting infrastructure. It has been designed to operate with zero routine gas flaring.

Across the unitized OML 53 and OML 21 fields, the ANOH development unlocks an estimated 4.6 trillion cubic feet of condensate-rich gas. Seplat’s working interest 2P gas reserves in the unitized field stood at 0.8 Tcf as of the end of 2024. The company will earn revenue from wet gas sales and dividends from its 50 percent equity stake in AGPC.

LPG output from ANOH, combined with production from Sapele and the Bonny River Terminal, is expected to position Seplat as a leading supplier of clean cooking fuel in Nigeria. The project will also process previously flared gas from the Ohaji field, supporting Seplat’s onshore end-of-routine-flaring program.

Seplat said the ANOH gas plant was delivered without a single recordable Lost Time Incident across 17.5 million man-hours, highlighting its focus on safety and operational excellence.