Agip fixes vandalised gas line, lifts Force Majeure

Nathan Tamarapreye, Yenagoa

Eni, the Italian parent company to Nigerian Agip Oil Company (NAOC), has fixed the breached of its 24-inch gas line at Okaka in Yenagoa that crippled its gas export.

The incident on the gas pipeline operated by its Nigerian unit, NAOC cut gas export feed to NLNG by 5 Million Standard Cubic Meter per day (MMSCM/d).

The company said that thr ‘Force Majeure’ on its gas export feed to the Nigeria Liquified Natural Gas (NLNG) in Bonny.l declared following the vandalism has been lifted.

Force Majeure, is a legal clause inserted in contracts to protect suppliers from liabilities due to circumstances beyond its control.

Eni in a statement by a spokesman on Friday by email indicated normalcy has returned to its gas export operations.

“Following the restoration of the Ogboinbiri to Obiafu/Obrikom Gas pipeline at Okaka in Yenagoa Local Government Area of Bayelsa State, which suffered a hacksaw cut caused by a third-party interference on April 5th.

“Force majeure has been lifted at Bonny NLNG on April 13th. The FM was declared on April 6th,” Eni statement read in part.

It will be recalled that the facility had suffered a second attack within a few days on April 5 and went up in flames.

Mr Idris Musa, Director-General and Chief Executive of National Oil Spills Detection and Response Agency had said that investigations by the agency traced the two leak incidents to sabotage by vandals.