Oil major Shell shut-in the Trans Ramos pipeline which feeds into Nigeria’s Forcados oil export terminal, to clean up crude oil spilled from a ruptured section, it said late-Sunday.
“The Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria Limited…has recovered over 95% of spilled oil from the recent spill incidents on sections of the Trans Ramos Pipeline (TRP) in Aghoro community, Bayelsa State, and in Odimodi community in Delta State,” Shell said in a statement. Forcados, a gasoil-rich sweet crude blend, is one of Nigeria’s top export grades.
“The pipeline, which has remained shut-in since the incidents, supplies crude to the SPDC Joint Venture-owned Forcados Oil Terminal in western Niger Delta for export,” the company said. Although Shell did not state the volume of crude affected due to the closure, the pipeline has a capacity of 100,000 b/d of crude, according to company sources. Forcados output has ranged between 200,000-250,000 b/d in the past few months.
Shell said the pipeline would be reopened once the leak is cleaned up and the site assessment has been completed. S& P Platts
Pix: Trans Ramos pipeline, Western Niger Delta
