Nigeria LNG Train 7 Project Timeline and Latest Update

The Nigeria LNG Train 7 project is a major expansion of the Bonny Island liquefaction plant aimed at increasing the facility’s capacity from about 22 million tonnes per annum (mtpa) to roughly 30 mtpa. Approved in December 2019, the project is being executed by the SCD consortium. This comprised of Saipem, Chiyoda, and Daewoo, and represents a central component of Nigeria’s Decade of Gas initiative.

Latest Update on Nigeria LNG Train 7

As of mid-2025, construction is around 80% complete. The project also employs more than 9,000 Nigerians directly. It also focuses on local fabrication, training, and supply chain participation.

Additionally, Nigeria LNG Train 7 expansion project is expected to boost exports, create thousands of indirect jobs, and strengthen Nigeria’s position as a leading global LNG supplier.

However, some challenges persist, especially in securing adequate feed gas, maintaining cost discipline, and coordinating regulatory oversight. The country expects to counter this with developments such as HI offshore gas project by Shell-Sunlink JV, and prospects in the Bonga oil and gas field.

Nigeria LNG Train 7 Project Factsheet

Location: Bonny Island, Rivers State, Nigeria

Operator: Nigeria LNG Limited. A JV between NNPC, Shell, TotalEnergies, and Eni

EPC Contractor: SCD Consortium with Saipem, Chiyoda, and Daewoo

Estimated Cost: Approx. US $4.3 billion

Capacity Increase: From 22 mtpa to 30 mtpa – a 35% increase

Jobs Created: Over 9,000 direct jobs

Major Challenge: Ensuring consistent feed-gas supply from upstream fields

Expected Commissioning: Late 2020s, subject to completion and gas supply readiness

Nigeria LNG Train 7 Project Timeline

December 2019: Final Investment Decision (FID) taken to build Train 7.

2021-2022: Early construction and procurement activities proceed. Foundation and module fabrication also begin.

Late 2022: Reports highlight progress but flag feed-gas supply and infrastructure challenges.

November 2023: Completion surpasses 50%. Work continues on major structures and processing units.

June 2024: Progress reaches about 67%. Over 45 million man-hours also recorded without lost-time injury.

June 2025: Project about 80% complete. Commissioning preparations also underway.

Nigeria LNG Train 7 Project, Host Communities in Orashi threaten to shut it down

Reported February 2022 – The host communities of the Nigeria LNG Train 7 Project in the Orashi area of Rivers State under the aegis of the Ekpeye Oil and Gas Pipeline Host Communities (EOGPH) have threatened to shut down the project. They plan to move against all multinationals in their area if the federal government and companies involved failed to duly consult them and address their grievances.

Chidi Idogini, the National Chairman of EOGPHC also said that it was wrong that the federal government and other parties involved in the Nigeria LNG Train 7 Project were only dealing with Bonny communities. Chide was concerned that attention had not been given to Ekpeye people where the gas would be drilled.

“Ekpeye is as important, or even more important in Nigeria LNG Train 7 Project as Bonny” Chidi Idogini

According to the National Chairman of EOGPHC Ekpeye is as important, or even more important, for the Nigeria LNG Train 7 Project as Bonny while the former has been impoverished for too long.

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“Attention ought to have been given to Ekpeye communities where the raw material for the project will be gotten from than Bonny where only a terminal is being sited,” said Mr. Idogini adding that the project implementation cannot begin without the involvement of the Ekpeye nation.

“The project is totally a business that has to do with Ekpeye and partly Ogba communities. The Nigeria LNG Train 7 Project team, therefore, has to come and discuss with us, otherwise will not allow any company to come to Ekpeye land to undertake the drilling works,” assured the National Chairman of EOGPHC.

Nigeria LNG Train 7 Project Background

Nigeria LNG Train 7 project is an ongoing expansion of the Nigeria LNG Terminal at Bonny Island, Nigeria, which currently has a total of six operational LNG processing units, four 84,200m³ LNG storage tanks, four 65,000m³ refrigerated storage tanks, and three 36,000m³ condensate storage tanks.

Also Read: Mozambique LNG project timeline and all you need to know

In addition, the terminal also has a common LNG processing fractionation plant, a common condensate stabilization plant, two LNG export jetties, 23 dedicated LNG ships and a materials off-loading jetty, and ten gas turbine generators with a combined capacity of more than 320MW.

Owned and operated by Nigeria LNG (NLNG) Company, a joint venture between Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Shell Gas, Total, and Eni, the terminal currently has the capacity to produce 22Mtpa of LNG and 5Mtpa of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) and condensate per annum (Mtpa).

The Nigeria LNG Train 7 project will primarily add a seventh LNG processing unit with a production capacity of 4.2Mtpa and supporting infrastructure including an 84,200m³ storage tank, a 36,000m³ condensate tank, and three gas turbine generators at the terminal.

The project, whose cost is approximately US$ 6.5bn, will also include debottlenecking of the existing six trains that will increase the processing capacity by 3.4Mtpa, and the construction of wells and pipelines to supply additional feed gas to the LNG facility.

Upon completion, the Nigeria LNG Train 7 project will increase the Nigeria LNG Terminal production capacity by 35% from the current 22mtpa to 30mtpa.

Nigeria LNG Train 7 Project Through the Years

2018 

In July, NLNG awarded Front End Engineering Design (FEED) contract for the train seven to two consortia of engineering companies, namely B7 JV Consortium and SCD JV Consortium.

The B7 JV Consortium is made up of KBR, TechnipFMC plc, and Japan Gas Corporation (JGC), while the SCD JV Consortium includes Saipem S.p.A of Italy, Chiyoda Corporation of Japan, and Daewoo Engineering & Construction of South Korea.

In the same year, Guaranty Trust Bank of Nigeria and Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corp. (SMBC) of Japan were appointed as the Financial Advisers for the Project.

2019

March 2019, the NLNG and the Nigerian Content Development Monitoring Board (NCDMB) signed off an approved plan for Nigeria Content (NC) for NLNG’s Train 7 Project.

September 2019, NLNG issued a Letter of Intent for the Engineering, Procurement, and Construction (EPC) Contract of the Project to SCD JV Consortium.

December 2019, NLNG’s shareholders took the Final Investment Decision (FID) for the project in Abuja.

LNG 7 Train at Bonny Island Commissioning in 2024

Reported September 2019 – The Nigeria LNG (NLNG) joint venture has signed a letter of intent for construction of the plant’s 7th train, with the expansion set to be made official by late October as part of US $12bn project expansion plan.The preliminary agreement for the engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contract was signed with SCD JV – a consortium formed by Italin company Saipem, Japanese company Chiyoda corporation and South Korean company Daewoo E&C.

Construction of the 7th train at the Bonny Island LNG facility is scheduled for commissioning in 2024. The project will include a new liquefaction unit, an 84,200m³ storage tank, a 36,000m³ condensate tank and three gas turbine generators. The six-train Bonny LNG plant is located in the Niger Delta.

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LNG Train 7 project

According to Tony Attah, Managing Director for NLNG, the company is making significant progress towards the realization of the extension project. “Intent as it connotes, is a very clear statement that we are forging on with Train 7. The letter of intent is a bold statement that we have selected our preferred bidder for the contract. With Train 7, Nigeria will maintain its place in the global gas market, and NLNG will continue to support the development of our domestic LPG (liquefied petroleum gas) consumption through our commitment of 350 million tonnes to the domestic market,” Attah said.

The project will be owned and operated by Nigeria LNG, a joint venture between Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) with 49% stake, Shell Gas with 25.6% interest, Total with 15% stake and Eni with 10.4% interest. Once the deal is approved by Nigerian authorities, Daewoo E&C and its partners will be responsible for the construction of the LNG plant with an annual production capacity of 8 million tonnes and other associated facilities on Bonny Island, Nigeria.

Upon completion, the project will increase the Nigeria LNG facility’s total production capacity from 22 million tonnes per annum (mtpa) to 30 million tonnes per annum (mtpa). The project will increase the plant’s liquefaction capacity by 8 million tonnes per annum (Mtpa), or 35%, to reach 30 million barrels per day (Mmbpd).

LNG Capacity to Rise After Signing of EPC for the Construction of Train 7 Project

​Reported in May 2020 – The Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG) Company Limited has signed the engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) contract for construction of Train 7 Project. NLNG is partly owned by the Federal Government of Nigeria. Additionally, it was represented by Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation.

The signing of the EPC Contracts was with the SCD JV Consortium. The JV is made of Saipem of Italy, Japan’s Chiyoda and Daewoo of South Korea. The deal also triggered the commencement of the Detail Design and Construction phase of the project.

Search for an EPC contractor

The search for an EPC contractor for the construction of Train 7 Project  began in July 2018. The signing of Front End Engineering Design (FEED) with two consortia in a Dual FEED Process marked this. The consortia, B7 JV Consortium, and SCD JV Consortium participated in the Dual FEED Process. This led to their bidding to construct the LNG train.

Also Read: NNPC to double Nigeria’s domestic oil and gas supply by 2023

In September last year, NLNG issued a Letter of Intent for the EPC Contracts. The letter expresses the intention to award the main contract. It was subject to the signing of the terms. It was also subject to the preferred bidder after a contracting process that has been transparent. The process also saw to full compliance with all applicable laws and good industry practices.

NLNG took the Final Investment Decision (FID) on 27 December 2019. This was followed by the approval of NCCC and AVLs. This was also through the NCDMB in April this year.

Present during the signing of the EPC contract, the Group Managing Director of NNPC Mr. Mele Kyari, expressed delight. This was to the contracts had been awarded and fully signed.

The project is expected to create about 10,000 new jobs during the construction stage. Upon completion, it will help further diversify the revenue portfolio of Nigeria, alongside increasing its tax base.

Nigeria LNG Train 7 Project Officially Inaugurated by President Muhammadu Buhari​

Reported June 2021 – President Muhammadu Buhari has officially inaugurated the Nigeria LNG Train 7 project. This also marks the start of the construction of a new liquefaction unit. Additionally, the unit will comprise of 84,200m3 storage tank and a 36,000m3 condensate tank. It will also house three gas turbine generators at the Bonny Island LNG facility.

“Today I have performed the groundbreaking ceremony for a very important project and a milestone in the country’s oil and gas sector.  I have been passionately associated with this project for a long time, since the formative years of the LNG project. As Minister of Petroleum Resources back in 1978, I kicked off Nigeria’s first foray in the LNG Business and we have not looked back ever since.“

“I am very delighted that we have reached yet another milestone today, under my watch. We will continue to deliver on and enable transformational public and private sector projects of this nature to the people of this nation.” Said the West African country’s president.

Upon completion, the project will increase the capacity of NLNG’s current six-train plant by 35%. This is from 22 Million Tonnes Per Annum (mtpa) to 30 mtpa.

Project Development 

The Nigeria LNG Train 7 project is speared by Nigeria LNG Limited (NLNG). This is a joint venture between the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Shell, ENI, and TotalEnergies.

NLNG took the Final Investment Decision (FID) in December 2019. This was followed by the approval of the Nigerian Content Compliance Certificate (NCCC) and Approved Vendors Lists (AVLs) by the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) in April last year.

In May 2020, NLNG awarded the Engineering, Procurement, and Construction (EPC) Contracts for its Train 7 Project. SCD JV Consortium, comprising of Saipem, Chiyoda, and Daewoo won the contract. This award marked the start of the design and construction phase of the project.

New Participant Appointed for Nigeria LNG Train 7 Project

Reported August 2021 – SCD JV Consortium, the contractor in charge of the Engineering, Procurement, and Construction (EPC) of the Nigeria LNG Train 7 has appointed Air Products and Chemical. Air is an American international corporation and also a leader in liquefied natural gas (LNG) technology and equipment. The company will provide the main cryogenic heat exchangers (MCHEs) for the project.

Also Read: Nigeria LNG Train 7 project officially inaugurated by Muhammadu Buhari

The American international corporation will also provide process technology and proprietary processes to the JV. Noteworthy, Air Products has previously provided the MCHEs and process technology for the first six trains at the NLNG at Bonny Island. Initial on-stream LNG production from the units began in 1999 to 2007 for the sixth.

Proof of Quality Products and Good Customer Service

Speaking on the appointment Dr. Samir J. Serhan, the Chief Operating Officer at Air Products said that they are proud that the six heat exchangers the company built at the NLNG at Bonny Island continue operating, and that the Nigeria LNG Train 7  will utilize two additional Air Products’ heat exchangers from Air Products.

“Every customer is an important one. But returning customers reveal a lot about how you are operating as a business, and how your technology is viewed at the marketplace. Air Products prides itself on the manufacture of quality products and delivery of excellent customer service,” said Dr. Serhan.

Production of the MCHEs

The Allentown, Pennsylvania headquartered company will manufacture the main cryogenic heat exchangers at its Port Manatee, Florida manufacturing plant, in the southeasternmost U.S. state.

The Port Manatee facility was opened in January 2014. In October 2019, the company completed a 60% expansion of the facility. This was in a bid to meet the needs of the growing LNG industry.