Nigeria: Africa's energy center

By Gokhan Kavak

NIGER DELTA, Nigeria

Nigeria, located in western Africa, is endowed with important oil and natural gas reserves.

The country joined the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) in 1971, according to data compiled by Anadolu Agency.

Placed ninth in the world with its 5 trillion cubic meters of natural gas reserves, Nigeria is an important natural gas supplier for Turkey after Algeria in Africa.

As of 2015, Nigeria could produce 50.1 billion cubic meters of natural gas while it has reserves of natural gas worth 5.1 trillion cubic meters.

The country is in fourth place after Qatar, Australia and Malaysia with its 27.5 billion cubic meters of liquid natural gas (LNG) exports.

Nigeria LNG Limited (NLNG), an international company founded in 1989, started its operations in the south-east province of Niger Delta in 1999.

LNG, produced in NLGN's facility in Bonny Island, is exported to several countries.

Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation has 49 percent shares of NLNG, the British-Netherland joint company Shell has 25.6 percent, French company Total has 15 percent and Italian company Eni has 10.4 percent.

Melih Ulueren, Turkey's Abuja Ambassador, said: "We have been importing LNG from Nigeria through Petroleum Pipeline Company (BOTAS) since 1999. Hence, Nigeria's 3,000th to 4,000th ship came to Turkey."

"LNG cooperation is very important for economic relations between Turkey and Nigeria. While Turkey exported 1.1 billion cubic meters LNG from Nigeria in 2003, it rose to 1.5 billion cubic meters in 2015," Ulueren told Anadolu Agency.

Saying that he visited NLNG's facility in Bonny Island under a program, he underlined: "We met with NLNG General Manager Tony Attah and Deputy General Manager Sadik Mai-Bornu. We analyzed Nigeria's works in the field of natural gas and planned to take steps for improving relations between Turkey and Nigeria."

Ulueren said: "BOTAS signed several agreements to diversify suppliers in energy imports for providing supply security and raise flexibility in imports. Turkey started to import LNG from Nigeria in 1999."

Tony Attah, CEO of NLNG, noted that Turkey has been purchasing LNG from Nigeria for 20 years.

Touching on Nigeria's importance in the LNG field, he told Anadolu Agency: "Our company was founded in 1989, after 10 years in 1999, we started to produce LNG in Nigeria. Our works continue in the plant in Bonny Island."

Saying that the company wanted to develop relations with Turkey in the LNG field, Attah said:

"When we started to produce LNG, Turkish company started to buy LNG by trusting us. This confidence is very important and we appreciated it. Turkey-based BOTAS is one of our important customers. We are ready to sell more LNG to Turkey."

Ibe Kachikwu, Nigeria's minister of state for petroleum resources, said last month that Nigeria aims to raise its rank from 4th to 3rd after Qatar and Australia by making $7 billion additional investment.

Nigeria signed a natural gas pipeline with Morocco this year.

With this pipeline, which is expected to finish in 25 years, Nigeria targets to meet sub-Saharan Africa and European countries' natural gas requirements.