Nigeria plans $3.5-billion complex for methanol, urea, gas processing

Brass Fertilizer Co. and a Danish consortium led by Haldor Topsøe agreed to design and construct a $3.5 billion urea, methanol and gas processing plant on Brass Island in Nigeria's Bayelsa state. 

Taylor-DeJongh has been engaged as financial advisor for the project.

The project will be the single-largest private sector investment in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria, creating 15,000 jobs during the construction phase, with the potential to create over 5,000 permanent jobs upon completion.

The plant is expected to be operational in 2018. 

The proposed plant will produce 3,850 tpd of urea, 5,000 tpd of methanol and 500 MMSCFD of natural gas. Gas feedstock is to be provided through a direct supply from Shell's OML 33 field. 

Project management consulting for the urea/methanol plant will be performed by Engineers India Ltd. (EIL), with the shortlisted EPC and O&M contractor to be selected in early June. 

Helm AG, a leading global chemicals marketer, has been confirmed as an offtaker.

Investors in Brass Fertilizer include a subsidiary of DSV Group, a leading Nigerian provider of innovative solutions to the local pipeline industry, Haldor Topsøe, Maj Invest, Investment Fund for Developing Countries (IFU), Swedfund and the Bayelsa government.