West African Gas Pipeline

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The West African Gas Pipeline (WAGP) is a 678 kilometres (421 mi) 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 kilometres (354 mi) long offshore section runs parallel to the coastline, approximately 15 kilometres (9 mi) to 20 kilometres (12 mi) 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 kilometres (642 mi). The first regional natural gas transmission system in sub-Saharan Africa costs around US$600 million. It is possible that later the WAGP will be extended to Côte d'Ivoire and in longer term even to Senegal. It is also possible that since Willbros, the contractor for the onshore portion of the project, has been terminated that the pipeline and compressor station, located near Badagry, Nigeria, will never be completed.

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[edit] History

The project began 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.[1] The WAGP implementation agreement was signed in 2003. The construction started in 2005, and the first gas delivery is scheduled for 23 December 2007.[2] The gas will be used by the Volta River Authority's 330 MW combined cycle thermal plant at Aboadze near Takoradi and also the Takoradi International Company's (TICO) thermal power plant, which is being upgraded to a 330 MW combined cycle plant.[3]

[edit] Project company

The pipeline operating company WAGPCo is owned by the consortium of Chevron (36.7%), Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (25%), Royal Dutch Shell (18%), Volta River Authority of Ghana (16.3%), Société Togolaise de Gaz (SoToGaz - 2%) and Société Beninoise de Gaz S.A. (SoBeGaz - 2%).[3]

[edit] References

  1. ^ "Ghana awaits completion of gas pipeline project", Alexander's Gas & Oil Connections, 2006-09-19. Retrieved on 2007-12-08. 
  2. ^ "West Africa gas ‘to flow by Christmas’", Upstream Online, 2007-11-26. Retrieved on 2007-12-08. 
  3. ^ a b "Ghana Receives First Nigeria Gas Via WAGP", Downstream Today, 2008-02-13. Retrieved on 2008-02-23. 

[edit] External links