Power supply in Nigeria is set to increase significantly, as the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation said that the Trans Forcados oil pipeline has been reopened.
Mr. David Ige, Executive Director, Gas and Power, NNPC, disclosed that the pipeline, which had been shut for about a week due to sabotage, resumed operations over the weekend.
Ige explained that the closure of the pipeline network had led to the shut-in of about 200,000 barrels per day of crude export, halved Nigeria’s gas production and deprived two key power plants of gas supply. The pipeline, the NNPC said, transports the Forcados crude oil grade in the Niger delta region and was scheduled to export about 260,000 barrels per day in January and 210,000 bpd in February.
Ige said, “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. Each time the pipeline goes down, two power plants also lose input and electricity supplies for the eastern parts of the country are affected.”
