Shell Lifts FM on Supply to Nigeria LNG

Shell has lifted the force majeure, announced a month ago on August 8, on its feed gas supply into the Nigeria LNG export complex.

A spokesman of Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria (SPDC) said: “SPDC lifted the force majeure on gas supply to NLNG effective today, September 7 2016, following repair of the leak at the Eastern Gas Gathering System (EGGS-1) and re-opening of the line. A joint investigation team comprising community people, regulatory agencies and SPDC representatives found that the leak was from a hole drilled by unknown persons.”

Traders had said that the disruption to Shell's feed gas supplies into NLNG meant that the latter was exporting at roughly half its normal capacity.

The Nigeria LNG terminal at Bonny Island, with the tanker LNG Akwa Ibom berthed at its jetty (Photo credit: Shell)

On September 6, Shell lifted the force majeure on its Bonny Light crude oil export terminal, but has yet to do so for its Forcados oil terminal. The Forcados FM has been in place since February. 

In other news, Reuters reported that Nigeria's military had arrested a suspected leader of the Niger Delta Avengers and other men accused of attacking oil and gas infrastructure.

Mark Smedley