Ike Amos
04 January 2018, Sweetcrude, Abuja — The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Wednesday, said it would completely shut down the Escarvos to Lagos Pipeline (ELP) to totally extinguish the fire which engulfed the facility and also allow for repair works.
In a statement in Abuja, the NNPC said shutting down the pipeline would affect gas supply to customers in Ondo, Ogun and Lagos State.
Subsequently, the NNPC explained that it would lead to the shutdown of a number of power plants in the three states, with a combined generating capacity of 1,143 megawatts (MW), such as Egbin, Lagos, Olorunshogo, PEL Olorunshogo, Ogun, Paras Power Plant, Ogun, and Omotosho plant, Ondo State.
The NNPC disclosed that its Group Managing Director, Dr. Maikanti Baru, had ordered an immediate assessment of the damage caused by a fire on the ELP, a natural gas pipeline which supplies gas from Escravos region of the Niger Delta area to Lagos.
It noted that the pipeline also supplies gas to power plants in the South West, in addition to feeding the West Africa Gas Pipeline System.
The NNPC said the fire incident on the pipeline which was built in 1989, was suspected to have been caused by a bushfire on January 2, 2018, at Abakila, in Ondo State.
It said, “NNPC firemen were drafted to the scene and were able to contain the fire from the leak point of the pipeline incident. However, the fire could not be extinguished due to the high pressure of the line.
“To put off the fire, the line would require being isolated and depressurized, which might lead to a complete shutdown of the pipeline segment for repair works to be carried out.”
