… As Buhari says Nigeria’s maritime territorial expansion bid will be achieved without war, litigation***
Eni, the Italian parent company of Nigerian Agip Oil Company (NAOC), says the breach of its 24-inch gas line at Okaka in Yenagoa has temporarily crippled its gas export.
The firm said that it declared a ‘Force Majeure’ on its gas export feed to the Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG) in Bonny.
Force Majeure is a legal clause inserted in contracts to protect suppliers from liabilities due to circumstances beyond their control.
According to a statement by Eni, the incident on the gas pipeline operated by its Nigerian unit, NAOC, has cut the gas export feed to NLNG by five Million Standard Cubic Meter per day (MMSCM/d).
The newsmen had reported that the facility had suffered a second attack within a few days on April 5 when it went up in flames.
Mr Idris Musa, Director-General and Chief Executive of the National Oil Spills Detection and Response Agency, told newsmen that investigations by the agency traced the two leak incidents to sabotage by vandals.
According to the statement issued by an Eni spokesman, the firm shut in all gas wells that feed the line to douse pressure and pave way for repairs which were completed on April 8.
“A gas leak incident due to third-party interference occurred on 5th April along 24’’ Ogbainbiri to Obiafu/Obrikom Gas pipeline at Okaka in Yenagoa Local Government Area of Bayelsa State.
“All wells conferring in that pipeline was immediately shut-in and line depressurised whilst the area was cordoned off for safety reasons.
“The relevant government regulatory agencies and the community were promptly notified.
“A joint investigation visit confirmed sabotage.
“Deferred production is estimated at about 5 MSm3/d of gas and the repair job was completed on 8th April.
“Production ramp-up will take some days.
“Force majeure has been declares at Bonny NLNG.
“This is the second hacksaw cut in the area within few days, following a previous event that occurred on the same pipeline on 28th March,” Eni stated.
In the meantime, President Muhammadu Buhari has expressed optimism that Nigeria’s bid to expand its maritime territory, under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), is fully on course.
Buhari, who stated this when he received a progress report from the High-Powered Presidential Committee on Nigeria’s Extended Continental Shelf Project, on Tuesday in Abuja, said this would be achieved without ‘‘war, litigation, or purchase.’’
“I am looking forward to the day that I can announce to Nigerians that additional maritime territory has been approved for Nigeria by the United Nations Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf,’’ the president said.
The president assured the Committee, chaired by the Minister of Justice and Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, of his full support for Nigeria’s submission to the United Nations for the additional maritime area, under the recognised international convention.
He commended the Committee on the progress made so far, and the dedication invested in the work within a short time, assuring them of all the support to conclude the project in good time.
While underscoring his special interest in the project, the President told the Malami-led committee:
“I have always had a special interest in this project right from the first day I heard of it because this type of project where Nigeria will gain additional territory without conflict has never happened before in her lifetime.
“I am therefore glad that it is happening within our lifetime.
This is one of the many reasons I have been ardently following your progress over time.
“It is my intention to support the submission to the United Nations for the additional maritime area, in accordance with the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), to claim for Nigeria every bit of space that she deserves under UNCLOS.
“It is pleasing to know that most wars that have taken place in the world since time immemorial, including present times, have always been territorial, and Nigeria has this one and only chance to gain territory without war, litigation, or purchase.
“More so when this territory lies within the area dubbed as ‘the Golden Triangle’ in the Gulf of Guinea, which contains unquantifiable resources, some of which have not even been discovered.’’
In his remarks, Malami thanked the President for his support to the project, noting that it was dormant for more than 30 months before the president rescued it.
“I thank you for making this project your pet project, because when it was virtually dead after being dormant for more than thirty months, and the Nigerian experts had almost given up on it, you rescued it, and it is where it is today because of you,’’ he said.
The minister told Buhari that; “by the grace of God, the Committee is delivering and gaining more grounds for Nigeria on the project.’’
The president, at the event, listened to an administrative presentation on the project by Mr Aliyu Omar, the Secretary of the Committee, while the technical part was presented by Prof. Lawrence Awosika, a marine geophysicist and former Director with the Nigerian Institute for Oceanography and Marine Research.