WAGPCo pledges duct integrity for growing West African gas market
Sopuruchi Onwuka
The West African Gas Pipeline Company (WAGPCo) Limited has declared commitment to ensure that the transportation infrastructure connecting natural gas from producers to the regional market remains in sound condition.
The company is the transporter of processed natural gas from Nigeria to the West African region.
General Manager in charge of Corporate Affairs at WAGPCo, DR Isaac Adjei Doku, said in Lagos that the obligation to guarantee supply uptime informs the ongoing pipeline maintenance programme. He assured that all stakeholders in the regional gas grid, including the shippers and offtakers, would benefit from the improved reliability of the pipeline assets at the end of the exercise.
Dr Doku who responded to earlier version of this report clarified that WAGPCo’s role is to ensure reliability of the pipeline asset for stability of flow.
The Oracle Today reports that the West African Gas Pipeline (WAGP) operated by WAGPCo runs from Lagos through Benin Republic and Togo to Ghana. The feedgas connects at the Itoki Natural Gas Export Terminal of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited from where a 56 kilometres of onshore section of the 30” pipeline runs to the Lagos Beach Compression Station in Badagry.
From Badagry, the trunk line dips into the sea where a 20” subsea conduit continues 569 kilometres along the seabed to Takoradi in Ghana. And the stakeholders which are mainly the national gas companies of Benin, Togo and Ghana connect to the offshore pipeline through lateral lines at intersections in their doorsteps.
The pipeline currently supplies industries and power plants in the four nations with 150 million standard cubic feet per day of critical clean, cheap and sustainable gas fuel to fire up industrial plants and utilities. However, infrastructure and facility supply capacity is estimated to be in comfortable position to cater for foreseeable market demand if and when volumes become available.
WAGPCo stated that maximum demand gas offtakers along the pipeline route have been advised to switch to fuel oils within the period of the routine and mandatory maintenance programme.
During the period, WAGPCo and its contractors are to clean out the gas conduit of sludge and other accumulated liquids, ascertain the integrity of the pipes, replace faulty valves and carry out other necessary maintenance jobs to keep the critical energy supply facility in pristine conditions.
At the conclusion of the maintenance project, all customers are expected to reconnect to the WAGP which holds capacity to deliver princely 470 MMscf/d of natural gas to the regional energy market.
Dr Doku said that the original concept was to use Nigeria’s abundant gas resources to help meet energy needs of member nations of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). He confirmed that the availability of gas in the supply route has spurred development and establishment of more industries in the region.
In emphasizing the critical role the pipeline plays in the development of the region, he pointed out that gas remains the cheapest and most sustainable fuel available for economic development of West African countries.
The role of WAGP in providing energy for the region, he said, has made it crucial for the supply infrastructure to be kept in perfect condition. He explained that apart from meeting the regulatory requirement on regular facility maintenance, the ongoing pipeline maintenance would guarantee asset integrity and stability of energy supply.
