ABUJA—WORRIED over the alleged $1billion spent so far for an itch in the construction of Obite- Ubeta- Rumugi 42.5 kilometre 42″ Gas Pipeline Project(OUR) in Rivers State, the Senate has begun a holistic investigation of Total E&P Nigeria Limited, TEPNG. Consequently, the Senate has summoned the Managing Director, Total E&P Nigeria Limited, to appear before it. Describing the amount as ridiculous, the Senate has mandated its Committee on Gas under the chairmanship of Senator Bassey Akpan (PDP, Akwa Ibom North East), to immediately probe the matter and ask the company to explain why such amount must be spent on such a project. In a letter by the Clerk of Senate Committee on Gas, Mrs. Utienyin Umealor, dated August 14, 2017, addressed to the Managing Director TEPNG and obtained by Vanguard yesterday, read “The Senate has mandated the Senate Committee on Gas to urgently investigate the contract for the construction of Obite- Ubeta- Rumugi 42.5 Km 42” Gas Pipeline Project (OUR).” In the letter, the Senate asked the oil company to furnish it with all contract documentation as it relates to the project, front end Engineering Design, FEED, on the project; Bill of Quantity for the project and any other relevant information on the project. According to the letter, the company must forward the required information on or before August 30, 2017 ahead of the public hearing slated for next month. It was gathered that the O.U.R. Pipeline is a 42-inch, 45 kilometre onshore gas pipeline, spanning Obite, Ubeta and Rumuji communities (hence the acronym O.U.R.) in Rivers State, South-South Nigeria. It is a major component of the OML 58 Upgrade Project designed to meet the objectives of the Federal Government’s Gas Master plan as well as provide gas for both the domestic market and the Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas, NLNG company.

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