Rivers community protests over location of $550m Ubeta gas project

The people of Ekpeye Ethnic Nation in Ahoada East and West of Rivers State, who are the host communities for the $550 million Nigeria National Petroleum Company Limited/TotalEnergies Ubeta Gas Project have protested against the planned diversion of the project to Obite, another Community in Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni Local Government Area.

The area originally marked for the gas project is claiming that despite the federal government’s choice of the Ubeta area for the project and abundant deposit of gas in the area, some interest groups are planning to lay pipes and link the community’s gas to another area to site the project.

The traditional rulers of Ubeta communities, including His Imperial Majesty, Eze Sir, (Amb) Kelvin Ngozi Anugwo, Eze Ekpeye Logbo III, Akalaka XII, His Royal Highness, Eze Dr. Chigemerem David, among others told newsmen on Thursday that the entire Ekpeye people will reject any plan to pipe the gas project from the area to another community.

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The Ubeta Field Development Project is being developed under Oil Mining Licence (OML) 058, with an expectation to produce 300 million standard cubic feet of gas per day (mmscfd) which is billed to commence production in 2027.

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The Ubeta Field facility, when completed, would feed and secure gas supply to the Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG) Train-7 Project at Finima, Bonny Island, currently undergoing capacity expansion from 22 to 30 metric tonnes per annum (mtpa).

The people of Ekpeye Ethnic Nation, had earlier in a resolution after their meeting and signed by His Imperial Majesty, Eze Sir (Amb) Kelvin Ngozi Anugwo, Eze Ekpeye Logbo III, Akalaka XII, His Royal Highness, Eze Dr. Chigemerem David, Eze Emene Echi Ubie I, Secretary, Ekpeye Council of Traditional Rulers and Chiefs and Dr. Michael U. Nyemenim, President General, Uzugbani Ekpeye, on behalf of themselves and the entire Ekpeye people reject any plan to pipe the gas project  to another community.

The people, while appreciating the federal government for the project, insisted that “The Ubeta Gas Project shall be built at Ubeta Community or elsewhere in Ekpeye Ethnic Nation.”