A gas leak and a facility process interruption at gas gathering facilities near Port Harcourt have led to a significant electricity shortage in Nigeria’s Aba Area of Abia State, which comprises nine of the state's 17 local government areas.

Unnamed sources privy to the situation reported that the incidents occurred at Associated Gas Gathering (AGG) facilities in Obigbo and Agbada, located outside Port Harcourt. 

One source, an engineer with NNPC Marketing Limited (NGML), indicated that the process upset at the Obigbo facility was discovered earlier and appeared less severe than the issue at Agbada.

Vincent Chukwueke, a former top executive with The Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) and a gas specialist, explained that safety protocols likely prompted Heirs Energies, the operator of Oil Mining Lease (OML) 17, to halt gas supply to the 188MW Geometric Power Plant in Abia State's Osisioma Industrial Layout. 

This plant is the primary electricity provider for Aba Power, which distributes power to the Aba Ring-fenced Area.

"It had to suspend gas supplies so as to quickly resolve the issues at the AGGs," Chukwueke said Tuesday.

The Managing Director of Aba Power, Ugo Opiegbe, confirmed in a telephone interview that the utility has been operating with a reduced capacity of only 25MW from the Niger Delta Power Holding Company (NDPHC) since the gas supply to their embedded power plant was suspended Monday.

"The supply from the NDPHC is a fraction of what we can generate from our three turbines, as each produces 47MW," Opiegbe stated.

Opiegbe expressed regret that the power reduction occurred during the Easter holidays but assured that "we are taking every step necessary to restore full supplies between today and tomorrow, so that our people can continue to enjoy the long holidays."