The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) has disclosed that it will soon begin activation of Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) refill stations for motorists across the country.

The corporation made this known in a statement by the Group General Manager Public Affairs Division, Dr Kennie Obateru, in Abuja, on Sunday.

The CNG (methane stored at high pressure) is a fuel that can be used in place of gasoline, diesel fuel and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) and its combustion produces fewer undesirable gases than the aforementioned fuels.

According to report, the deregulation of the oil downstream had elicited increase in the price of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) also known as petrol in the country.

Minister of State, Petroleum Resources, Chief Timipre Sylva had made it known that the Federal Government will in the next few weeks inaugurate CNG Plants in all NNPC petroleum stations across the country which would serve as an alternative to petrol for motorists in the country.

He added that the idea was to support the ongoing initiatives by the Ministry of Petroleum Resources to provide alternative energy sources for Nigerians quoting the Group Managing Director of the Corporation, Malam Mele Kyari, as saying that the National Oil Company had already keyed into the gas penetration agenda championed by Sylva.

Kyari maintained that as an energy company with focus on cleaner and cheaper sources of fuel, the Corporation would continue to work with other stakeholders in the industry to provide possible alternatives to petrol. He said this would eventually lead to reduction in demand for the product and eventual reduction in price.

 Kyari who re-emphasized the commitment of the corporation towards openness and greater transparency in its operations said that in the months ahead NNPC would make public its 2019 Audited Financial Statements as a follow-up to the 2018 AFS released in June.

Pertaining to the state of the refineries, he said that the plants were deliberately shut down to allow for a strong diagnosis of the issues which have overtime made it impossible for the facilities to operate up to their ultimate capacities adding that the shutdown also became inevitable due to difficulties in feeding them with crude oil via the pipelines that had been completely compromised by vandals.

He added that the Corporation was moving fast to execute complete rehabilitation of the refineries under an exercise that would guarantee restoration of the facilities to at least 90 per cent capacity utilisation.