West African Gas Pipeline

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The West African Gas Pipeline (WAGP) is a 678 kilometer long pipeline from the gas reserves in Nigeria's Escravos region of Niger Delta area to Benin, Togo and Ghana.

The pipeline consists three sections. The 569 kilometer long offshore section runs parallel to the coastline, approximately 15 to 20 kilometers offshore in water depths of between 30 and 75 meters. The new onshore section connects offshore section with Nigerian existing gas grid. Together with the existing Escravos-Lagos pipeline (ELP), operational since 1989, the total length of pipeline is 1,033 kilometers. The first regional natural gas transmission system in sub-Saharan Africa costs around 600 million USD. It is possible that later the WAGP will be extended to Côte d'Ivoire and in longer term even to Senegal.

The project begun in 1982, when the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) proposed the development of a natural gas pipeline throughout West Africa. In the early 1990's, a feasibility report deemed that a project was commercially viable. In September 1995, the governments of four African countries signed a Heads of Agreement (HOA). The feasibility study was carried out in 1999. On 11 August 1999, a Memorandum of Understanding was signed by participating countries in Cotonou. In February 2000, an Inter-Governmental Agreement was signed. The WAGP implementation agreement was signed in 2003. The construction started in 2005. The first gas delivery is scheduled for March 2007. The main user will be Takoradi power plant in Ghana.

The pipeline is owned and operated by the consortium of Chevron (38%), Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (25%), Royal Dutch Shell (17%), Takoradi Power Company Limited (16%), Société Togolaise de Gaz (SoToGaz - 2%) and Société Beninoise de Gaz S.A. (SoBeGaz - 2%).