Ike Amos
14 July 2017, Sweetcrude, Abuja — Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria, a subsidiary of Royal Dutch Shell, Friday, declared force majeure on the export of Bonny Light crude oil grade, following the shutdown of a key pipeline transporting the crude oil grade to the export terminal.
According to a statement by the company, the force majeure was declared due to the shutdown of the Nembe Creek Trunk Line, by Aiteo, operator of the pipeline, which is one of two pipelines that export Bonny Light crude.
SPDC made the declaration known to its partners and stakeholders effective from 12pm Nigerian time on Thursday.
The declaration of force majeure on Bonny Light is coming after Royal Dutch Shell, last month, lifted force majeure on exports of Nigeria’s Forcados crude oil grade.
The Forcados grade, which typically exports 200,000 to 240,000 barrels per day (bpd) had been under force majeure since February 2016 following a militant attack on the main export route, the Trans Forcados Pipeline.
Few weeks to the commencement of crude oil from Forcados, Shell had issued a loading programme for June exports that lifted planned exports from Nigeria to at least a 15-month high.