The monitoring of upstream operations in Nigeria is in for radical transformation because the Heirs Energies OML 17 Joint Venture has collaborated with Redtech to unveil its Integrated Operations Monitoring Centre (IOMC).

It was gathered that the IOMC is a next-generation digital operations hub designed to digitally monitor the way upstream assets are monitored, managed and optimised.

According to the company, the commissioning marks a significant milestone in the joint venture’s commitment to operational excellence, innovation and technology-driven performance by bringing together operational intelligence, production monitoring, security surveillance, hydrocarbon evacuation, facility performance and critical asset data into a single integrated environment.

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In a statement, the company stated that the monitoring centre, developed through a collaboration between Heirs Energies, operator of OML 17, and Redtech, the technology company within the Heirs Holdings Group, represents the convergence of energy expertise and digital innovation to enable faster decision-making, improved collaboration and greater operational visibility across OML 17.

Speaking at the unveiling, the Chief Executive Officer of Heirs Energies, Osa Igiehon, said the centre would provide real-time visibility of the company’s operations and improve efficiency.

“The future of upstream operations will be driven by data, technology and intelligent decision-making. The Integrated Operations Monitoring Centre provides us with a real-time operational view of our assets, enabling quicker decisions, improved collaboration and enhanced operational efficiency. It reinforces our commitment to deploying innovation to deliver safer, smarter and more resilient operations across OML 17,” the CEO said.

According to the company, the IOMC serves as the digital nerve centre of the joint venture by integrating operational data from multiple systems into a single platform that supports proactive decision-making, production optimisation, asset integrity and operational risk management.

It added that the centre also strengthens the security of OML 17’s remote assets through an intruder detection and surveillance system, enabling real-time monitoring, early threat detection and faster incident response across critical facilities and infrastructure.

The firm added that beyond real-time monitoring, the centre provides a foundation for future capabilities, including predictive analytics, remote operations, artificial intelligence-enabled decision support and advanced production optimisation.

The Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Redtech, Emmanuel Ojo, said the project demonstrates the value of technology in addressing operational challenges.

He said, “At Redtech, we believe technology should simplify operations, improve decision-making and create measurable business value. The IOMC demonstrates what is possible when digital innovation is applied to industrial operations. Working alongside Heirs Energies, we have delivered a platform that enables connected operations, intelligent monitoring and faster operational response. This is another example of how technology can unlock greater efficiency and performance across Africa’s energy sector.”

The statement noted that since assuming operatorship of OML 17 in 2021, Heirs Energies has transformed one of Nigeria’s largest onshore assets through its Brownfield Excellence strategy, increasing oil production to over 50,000 barrels of oil per day while expanding domestic gas supply to over 135 million standard cubic feet per day and improving operational reliability.

The company added that the IOMC represents the next phase of this transformation by embedding digital capability at the heart of field operations and reinforcing the joint venture’s commitment to safe, efficient and technology-enabled energy production.

Households across parts of the country are beginning to experience relief as retail prices of Liquefied Petroleum Gas, popularly known as cooking gas, decline following improved product supply and softer depot prices.

The latest market update from gas marketers showed that retail LPG prices have started easing in major cities after weeks of elevated prices, although the reductions have not been uniform because of varying transportation costs, distance from supply depots and retailer margins.

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Checks by marketers indicated that cooking gas is now selling for between N1,100 and N1,350 per kilogramme in Lagos, Ibadan and Abeokuta, while consumers in Benin City, Port Harcourt and Warri are paying between N1,150 and N1,400/kg.

In Onitsha and Enugu, retail prices range from N1,200 to N1,450/kg, while consumers in Abuja pay between N1,250 and N1,500/kg.

The National President of the Nigerian Association of Liquefied Petroleum Gas Marketers, Edu Inyang, told our correspondent that northern cities, including Kano and Kaduna, currently record prices of N1,300 to N1,550/kg, while consumers in Maiduguri and parts of the North-East still pay the highest prices, ranging from N1,350 to N1,650/kg, reflecting the additional logistics costs of transporting products to the region.

Overall, Inyang said the national retail price range now stands at approximately N1,100 to N1,650 per kilogramme, although some neighbourhood retailers continue to charge above the range where transportation and distribution costs remain elevated.

The improvement marks a reversal from the sharp increases witnessed from May, when supply tightness and rising depot prices pushed cooking gas costs significantly higher across several parts of the country.

According to the NALPGAM president, the latest decline follows improved product availability from both domestic production and imports, as well as lower depot prices. He also attributed the easing to increased competition among marketers and the disappearance of panic buying that had briefly tightened supplies.

“Following reports of improved LPG supply and softer depot prices in late June 2026, retail cooking gas prices have started easing in some markets, although the reduction has not been uniform across Nigeria. Transport costs, distance from depots, and retailer margins still create noticeable differences between cities.

“Overall, the national retail range is roughly N1,100 to N1,650 per kilogramme, with some neighbourhood retailers charging slightly above this range where logistics costs remain high. The recent easing reflects lower depot prices as supply improved, increased product availability from domestic sources and imports, reduced panic buying and hoarding after government market interventions, and more competition among marketers in major cities,” Inyang said.

The development is expected to provide some relief to households grappling with rising living costs, although industry players noted that prices may continue to differ from one location to another depending on local distribution expenses.

Based on the prevailing retail prices, a 5kg cylinder refill now costs between N5,500 and N8,250, while a 6kg refill ranges from N6,600 to N9,900. Inyang said consumers refilling a standard 12.5kg cylinder are expected to pay between N13,750 and N20,625, depending on location and retailer.

Despite the improvement, marketers cautioned that retail prices are yet to stabilise nationwide, noting that communities located farther from major LPG depots may continue to experience relatively higher prices because of transportation costs.

Industry operators expressed optimism that sustained product availability from local producers, alongside steady imports, would further moderate prices in the coming weeks, provided there were no major disruptions to supply or logistics.

Also, the National Chairman of the Liquefied Petroleum Gas Retailers Branch of the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers, Ayobami Olarinoye, told our correspondent that normalcy was gradually returning to the sector.

However, Olarinoye, whose members sell gas in neighbourhood shops, said they currently sell to consumers at prices ranging from N1,600 to N1,800/kg. “The inflow and supply are gradually getting back to normal. There is more availability.

“The price is also coming down gradually. As of today (Monday), we buy from between N1,300 and N1,500 per kg from the marketers (plant operators), depending on the locations, while we sell between N1,600 and N1,800 per kg to consumers. This also depends on the location and associated logistics.”

The PUNCH earlier reported that as cooking gas prices rose by about 140 per cent in many locations across the country, marketers finalised plans to import the product on a large scale to improve affordability and availability.

Cooking gas prices rose from an average of N1,000 per kilogramme in January and February this year to as high as N2,400 between May and June. Consequently, the regulator began issuing licences for the importation of LPG. This followed the inability of local LPG producers to meet domestic demand, according to industry operators.

Meanwhile, the Minister of Petroleum Resources (Gas), Ekperikpe Ekpo, intervened, warning operators against hoarding and profiteering.

In the bid to set up domestic local content models, several African countries are studying the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board’s (NCDMB) template.

The board stated this recently while hosting a delegation from the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC) on a benchmarking and knowledge-sharing visit aimed at deepening Ghana’s understanding of Nigeria’s local content development framework.

The delegation, led by the Director of Corporate Affairs at GNPC, Eric Pwadura, was received at the NCDMB headquarters in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State.

In a media statement, the General Manager, Corporate Communications Division of NCDMB, Dr Obinna Ezeobi, said Nigeria and Ghana had enjoyed long-standing cooperation in the energy sector and that the board had continued to support peer learning across Africa.

Welcoming the team, the Executive Secretary of NCDMB, Felix Ogbe, said Africa’s hydrocarbon endowment places a responsibility on producing countries to prioritise local content development and reduce dependence on foreign technology.

He said, “Africa has evolved over the last three to four decades, growing its hydrocarbon resources to over 120 billion barrels of crude oil reserves and 800 trillion standard cubic feet of gas, which constitute over 10 per cent of hydrocarbon resources globally.”

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Ogbe added that it was in the national interest of producing countries to build internal capacity for exploration and production, stressing the need for a shift away from over-reliance on external expertise.

Represented by the Director, Corporate Services of NCDMB, Dr Abdulmalik Halilu, Ogbe said Africa’s youth population remained a key advantage for industrial development if properly equipped with relevant skills.

He maintained that the board had evolved from policy directives under the defunct Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Local Content Division into a full-fledged institution.

“We have evolved from a policy to an institution,” he enthused, adding, “NCDMB is the sole agency responsible for local content” in Nigeria.

He disclosed that the board’s Nigerian Content 10-Year Strategic Roadmap was structured around five strategic pillars, including technical capability development, compliance and enforcement, enabling business environment, organisational capability, and sectoral and regional markets, alongside key enablers such as funding and regulatory support.

On capacity development, Ogbe highlighted the Nigerian Content Intervention Fund, which is administered through the Bank of Industry and the Nigerian Export-Import Bank, to provide single-digit loans to indigenous service companies.

“What we have done is to create that access to make the local service companies competitive,” he explained, noting that the initiative had enabled indigenous firms to acquire critical assets such as marine vessels.

He further noted that the board promotes utilisation of built capacity through a First Consideration policy for Nigerian companies with proven capability.

He added, “Local content does not compromise standards…it does not mean you have African spec or European spec,” adding, “It’s one global spec.”

Ghana’s Pwadura, in his remarks, expressed appreciation for the opportunity to learn from Nigeria’s experience, noting that Ghana’s current structure remains less developed.

“Even though we have the legislation guiding local content, we have not had the benefit of having a robust local content environment like you have. If we take our organisation (Ghana National Petroleum Corporation), for example, what we have is a local content unit. That’s currently the structure that we have. We want to have a deeper understanding of your local content development programme,” he said.

Earlier in his opening remarks, Ezeobi noted that NCDMB had maintained strong partnerships with several African institutions, including memoranda of understanding with Ghana’s Petroleum Commission and Senegal’s ST-CNSCL, as well as agencies in Mozambique, Angola and Namibia.