The West African Gas Pipeline Company Limited (WAPCO), owner and operator of the West African Gas Pipeline (WAGP), has announced the suspension of natural gas supply from Nigeria to Benin and Togo to carry out pipeline maintenance.
There will also be a partial suspension of gas supply from Nigeria to Ghana, as supply from Nigeria to Temu (Ghana) will be suspended while supply to Takoradi (Ghana) will continue.
This was contained in a statement released on Tuesday by WAPCO’s General Manager, Corporate Affairs, Dr. Isaac Doku.
He noted that the pipeline maintenance activities are scheduled to take place from February 5 to March 2, 2025.
“These activities include the pigging and the in-line inspection of the 569 km offshore pipeline infrastructure from Ajido, Lagos State. Nigeria to Takoradi, western region of Ghana, and replacement of critical subsea valves at Tema and Cotonou to enhance operational safety.
“This maintenance project will necessitate the temporary suspension of specific services, including the reverse flow transportation of natural gas from Ghana’s Western Region to Tema in the east, as well as gas transportation services from Nigeria to Cotonou Benin), Lomé Togo) and Tema (Ghana).
“However, some gas transportation services from Nigeria to Takoradi in Ghana will continue during this period to ensure the successful execution of the pipeline cleaning and inspection activities,” the statement read.
“Maintenance is mandatory”, WAPCO explains
The 569-kilometer offshore pipeline stretching from Itoki in the Ifo local government area of Ogun State, Nigeria to Takoradi in Ghana’s Western region, supplies natural gas to the aforementioned West African countries.
- WAPCO explained that the maintenance project is a regulatory requirement mandated every five years and aligns with industry best practices to ensure the pipeline’s safe and efficient operation.
- It added that the maintenance exercise is conducted in two phases. The first phase was completed in December 2024 and focused on cleaning and inspecting the onshore section of the pipeline within Nigeria.
- The second phase, beginning on February 5, 2025, will target the offshore section of the WAGP.
“WAPCo is mandated to conduct these inspections every five years (or on a risk-based schedule) as part of its commitment to maintaining the integrity of the WAG and ensuring its safe and reliable operation across the West African region.
“WAPCo has actively engaged with key stakeholders to ensure the necessary alignment for the successful implementation of this project. WAPCo is grateful to the governments of Benin, Ghana, Nigeria, and Togo for their ongoing support,” the statement added.
WAPCO’s General Manager Operations & Maintenance, Auwal Ibrahim, said “The company will continue to engage with relevant stakeholders on all matters to ensure the project’s safe execution and success.”
The WAGP is a bi-directional pipeline system with gas supply from both the east (Nigeria) and west (Ghana) of the pipeline system.
