• Firms target growing demand for specialised pipeline construction
Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja
PCE Nigeria Limited and its partner, Lantic, are seeking to deploy the engineering expertise gained from two major gas pipeline crossings on new infrastructure projects across Nigeria, following the completion of challenging sections of the Ajaokuta-Kaduna-Kano (AKK) and Obiafu-Obrikom-Oben (OB3) pipelines.
The company said its work on the River Niger crossings had expanded its capacity to execute complex Horizontal Directional Drilling (HDD), pipeline engineering, procurement and construction (EPC), buried pipeline detection systems (BPDS), drilling-fluid and other specialised technical projects.
A major demonstration of the capability, the firm said in a statement, was the approximately 2,000-metre, 48-inch HDD pullback completed beneath the River Niger for the OB3 gas pipeline.
The crossing connects Ndoni in Rivers State with Aboh in Delta State and forms part of the infrastructure designed to link Nigeria’s eastern and western gas networks.
PCE Nigeria also said it executed an approximately 1.56-kilometre HDD pullback beneath the River Niger for the AKK pipeline, which is designed to transport gas from Ajaokuta through Abuja and Kaduna to Kano.
According to the company, both crossings required specialised HDD engineering because of the length of the underground sections and varying ground conditions encountered during construction.
Commenting on the projects, PCE Nigeria’s Xu Liangkui said the two River Niger crossings demonstrated the capacity of specialised HDD engineering to deliver major pipeline infrastructure under difficult conditions.
“With Lantic, we’re now bringing that same combination of engineering, equipment and drilling fluid expertise to the next generation of pipeline projects,” he said.
The company said its collaboration with Lantic brings together specialist engineering capabilities, HDD equipment and drilling products, including Bentonite and drilling-fluid solutions adapted to the technical requirements and ground conditions of individual projects.
PCE Nigeria said its capabilities cover the pipeline development cycle, including site assessment, engineering, construction, testing and commissioning. Its technical resources include HDD rigs, mud pumps, recycling systems, reamers and other drilling tools, as well as drilling fluids and additives.
It added that its experience extends beyond Nigeria to pipeline projects in China, Thailand and other international markets.
The companies are positioning the experience from AKK and OB3 for further pipeline and infrastructure developments as Nigeria expands gas transportation capacity between producing regions and major demand centres, particularly power generation and industrial users.
PCE Nigeria said it was open to new project enquiries involving HDD, pipeline EPC, BPDS, Bentonite and drilling-fluid solutions, HDD equipment and technical engineering support.