West African Gas Pipeline

The West African Gas Pipeline (WAGP) is a convert|678|km|mi|0 long pipeline from the gas reserves in Nigeria's Escravos region of Niger Delta area to Benin, Togo and Ghana. It is the first regional natural gas transmission system in sub-Saharan Africa.

History

The project history 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. 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.cite news
url= http://www.gasandoil.com/GOC/company/cna64185.htm
title=Ghana awaits completion of gas pipeline project
publisher=Alexander's Gas & Oil Connections
date=2006-09-19
accessdate=2007-12-08] The WAGP implementation agreement was signed in 2003. Groundbreaking ceremonies for the project were held at Sekondi-Takoradi, Ghana, on 3 December 2004.cite news
url= http://www.gasandoil.com/goc/company/cna52322.htm
title=Willbros opens another scandal of improper payments to Nigeria
publisher=Alexander's Gas & Oil Connections
date=2005-05-23
accessdate=2008-07-19] The construction started in 2005.cite news
url= http://www.upstreamonline.com/live/article144884.ece
title=West Africa gas 'to flow by Christmas'
publisher=Upstream Online
date=2007-11-26
accessdate=2007-12-08] The pipeline was scheduled to start operating on 23 December 2007 but was delayed after leaks were detected in supply pipelines in Nigeria.cite news
url= http://www.upstreamonline.com/live/article152945.ece
title=West Africa gas delayed
publisher=Upstream Online
date=2008-04-23
accessdate=2008-07-19] The second delivery deadline was scheduled on 13 February 2008, but regular deliveries were again, when one of contractors of Willbros was shot and killed in Nigeria by armed robbers. The pipeline was commissioned on 13 May 2008 and gas deliveries are expected later in 2008.

Route

The pipeline consists three sections. The convert|569|km|mi long offshore section runs through the waters of Benin, Togo and Ghana parallel to the coastline, approximately convert|15|km|mi to convert|20|km|mi offshore in water depths of between convert|30|m|ft and convert|75|m|ft. The new Nigerian onshore section connects the offshore section compressor station at Lagos Beach with Nigerian existing gas grid. Together with the Chevron-owned existing Escravos-Lagos pipeline, operational since 1989, the total length of pipeline is convert|1033|km|mi|0.It is possible that later the WAGP will be extended to Côte d'Ivoire and in longer term even to Senegal.

Technical description

The diameter of the onshore section is convert|30|in|mm|-1.The diameter of the offshore pipeline is convert|20|in|mm|-1 and the capacity is 5 billion cubic meter (bcm) of natural gas per annum.cite news
url= http://allafrica.com/stories/200804280704.html
title=Africa: West African Gas Pipeline Will Supply 475m Cubic Ft of Gas Daily
author = Teddy Nwanunobi
date=2008-04-28
accessdate=2008-07-19] The pipeline was constructed by Willbros and the pre-commissioning services were provided by BJ Process and Pipeline Services.cite news
url= http://allafrica.com/stories/200803270497.html
title=Nigeria: Willbros Completes 421-Mile Gas Pipeline System
author = Teddy Nwanunobi
publisher=Leadership
date=2008-03-27
accessdate=2008-07-19] The pipeline costs around US$620 million, for which the World Bank provided a guarantee of US$50 million for Ghana, while the Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency provided a US$75 million political risk guarantee for Wagpco as a whole.

Project company

The pipeline is operated by West African Gas Pipeline Company Limited (WAGPCo), 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%).

Consumers

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.cite news
url= http://www.downstreamtoday.com/News/Articles/200802/Ghana_Receives_First_Nigeria_Gas_Via_WAG_8695.aspx
title=Ghana Receives First Nigeria Gas Via WAGP
publisher=Downstream Today
date=2008-02-13
accessdate=2008-02-23]

Controversy

Environmental group Friends of the Earth has criticized the project, after local communities in Nigeria complained it would damage land, destroy livelihoods and pollute fishing areas.

References

External links

* [http://41.204.59.211:81/ WAGPCo website]
* [http://www.eia.doe.gov/emeu/cabs/wagp.html West African Gas Pipeline (WAGP) Project] ,Energy Information Administration, March 2003