Nigeria’s Trans Forcados export pipeline could restart operations in 2Q17, after numerous militant attacks caused the line to be shut down for the majority of 2016.
Chief Executive of Seplat, Austin Avuru, stated the pipeline could be operational "towards the end of the second quarter.”
Seplat holds working interests in numerous Niger Delta oilfields and is also exporting crude oil via the pipeline. Due to the frequent pipeline sabotages by Nigerian militants, the company’s production has decreased.
Avuru explained: “We have a lot of locked-in production, which we intend to unlock by exploring various other means beyond the Trans Forcados.” At present, the company is looking into the possibility of the Escravos pipeline as an alternative option for crude export.
If the pipeline reopens, it will result in a major boost for Nigeria’s oil exports, which are down due to constant militant attacks on pipelines and production facilities.