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Shell Nigeria Declares Force Majeure, Shuts Trans Niger Pipeline
A Shell logo is seen at a petrol station in London January 31, 2013. REUTERS/Luke MacGregor
24/09/2013
(Reuters) - Royal Dutch Shell said on Monday its Shell Petroleum Development Co of Nigeria (SPDC) declared force majeure on gas supplied to the Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas Co and on Bonny Light crude exports, effective September 23.
About 150,000 barrels of oil and 500 million standard cubic feet of gas per day have been deferred, it said in a release.
The SPDC declared force majeure after it shut down the Trans Niger Pipeline (TNP) for repair of new crude oil leaks caused by theft at Bodo West and Oloma.
The latest leak at Bodo West occurred on September 18, while the Oloma incident was noticed September 22, the company said.
Shell closed the pipeline less than a week after it announced it had reopened after earlier repairs, underscoring the huge challenges faced by Africa's largest oil exporter.
An estimated 100,000 barrels per day (bpd) of oil were stolen from pipelines in the Niger Delta in the first quarter of this year, a report by London-based Chatham House said, not including the unknown quantities stolen from export terminals.
The SPDC is the operator of a joint venture involving the Nigerian National Petroleum Corp, Total Exploration and Production Nigeria Ltd, and Nigerian Agip Oil Co Ltd.
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