The federal government and oil firms operating in the western Niger Delta are losing roughly 250,000 barrels of oil per day (b/d) owing to the closure of the Trans-Forcados Pipeline, following a leakage discovered on the facility.
The Trans-Forcados pipeline is the major trunk line in the Forcados Pipeline System with an export capacity of 400,000b/d and the second largest network in the Niger Delta after the Bonny Oil Pipeline System in the eastern Niger Delta. It was gathered that after a leakage was discovered on the pipeline on May 7, the pipeline had to be completely shutdown for repairs to be carried out. International oil companies (IOCs) and Nigerian independents operating in the western Niger Delta use the pipeline to pump oil to the 400,000b/d Forcados export terminal.
Heritage Energy Operational Services Limited operates the pipeline, along with its oil block – Oil Mining Lease (OML) 30. Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC), Nigerian Petroleum Development Company (NPDC), Seplat Petroleum Development Company Plc, Shoreline Natural Resources, Neconde, Elcrest E&P, ND Western and First Hydrocarbon Nigeria are also some of the major producing companies affected by the closure of the Trans-Forcados Pipeline. Also affected are marginal field operators such as Pillar Oil, Energia, Platform Petroleum, and Midwestern Oil.
Source Thisday
