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The first phase of the National Gas Processing Project is to commence this month, Dr. George Spia-Yankey, the Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Gas Company Limited, announced on Wednesday. He was speaking to the press after inspecting 6,953 pieces of pipes imported from China for the project on board MV Western Stavanger at Takoradi. The company has already taken delivery of the first consignment of over 3,000 pieces of pipes from China. Mr. Spia-Yankey said the first phase involved the laying of offshore and inshore pipes from the Jubilee Fields through Atuabo to the Takoradi Thermal Plant at Aboadze. He said the first phase, estimated to cost $750 million, would be undertaken by Sinopec International Petroleum Corportion of China. Dr. Spia-Yankey said enough pipes were available for the first phase. The second phase, which includes assembling of plants at Atuabo, will begin next month. President John Dramani Mahama is expected to cut the sod for the commencement of the project, which is targeted to be completed by the end of the year. Dr. Spia-Yankey said the Gas Processing Plant would initially produce 150 million metric standard cubic feet of gas a day and the production level would be increased to 300 million metric standard cubic feet. He said the country would derive numerous benefits from the gas project including availability of gas to power Takoradi Thermal Plant at a lower cost, creation of jobs and the establishment of petro-chemical industries.