WorldStage Newsonline– There is strong indication that Nigeria’s average daily oil production which dropped to 1.2 million barrels in March from 1.3 in February will pick up in April as the issues with the Trans -Niger pipeline (TNP) and maintenance activities by some oil companies have been resolved.
Industry sources said there was a resumption of operations on the pipeline in April, approximately four months ahead of plan.
“The Trans-Niger Pipeline which flows into the Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria (SPDC) operated Bonny export terminal, was reopened in April 2023 and remains operational. Connector lines including the pipeline serving the Oza Oil Field, are expected to be operational in the near future,” a source said.
Nigeria’s crude production projection is 1.7 million barrels a day.
Seplat Energy PLC, a leading Nigerian independent energy company was quoted as saying that access to the pipeline will enable it increase production from OML53, as well as providing the primary export route for condensate from AGPC, which remains on track for first gas in 3Q 2024.
The Minister of state for Petroleum Resources, Sen. Heineken Lokpobiri who attributed the low crude oil production in the first quarter of the year to issues with the Trans-Niger pipeline said the issues had been resolved and the country would soon get to churning out 1.7 million barrels of oils daily.
