Nigerians will experi
ence relief in power supply as the Trans-Forcados oil pipeline which transports crude oil to an export terminal and gas to power stations resumed operations after one week of closure.
The closure of the pipeline a week ago, due to sabotage, had led to a drop in power generation by 1,500 megawatts as almost half of the country’s gas production was affected.
Though the pipeline is a crude oil facility, gas fields that supply gas to power stations had to be shut down because the liquid condensate they produce together with gas is normally evacuated through the pipeline.
The pipeline which belongs to the Nigerian Petroleum Development Company, (NPDC), transports for cados grade of crude oil to the forca dos export terminal which is scheduled to export about 260,000 barrels per day this month and 21,000 barrels per day in February.
A statement from the NNPC in Port Harcourt which was obtained by our correspondent quotes the Group’s Executive Director in charge of Gas and Power, Dr David Ige as saying that the pipeline has resumed operations.
“Forcados is a major artery, when this pipeline is out we lose gas production, it accounts for 40-50 per cent of gas production in the country”, he said.
Ige further explained in the statement that each time the pipeline goes down, two power plants also lose input and electricity supplies for the east of the country are affected.
According to him, the country produces around eight billion cubic feet of gas per day of which 1.9 per cent per day is allocated for domestic consumption.
SEPLA Petroleum Development Company which is listed in both London and Nigeria, Pan Ocean Corporation and the NPDC transport their crude oil through the pipeline.
Apart from the over 30,000 barrels per day lost by Seplat and NPDC in OMLs 4,38 and 41, NPDC also lost production at OMLs 26 and 42 which it operates.