Escarvos to Lagos Gas Pipeline Fire, Restoration of Line; Baru Orders for Assessment

 Following the outbreak of fire on the Escarvos to Lagos Pipeline, ELP, the Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Dr. Maikanti Baru, has ordered an immediate assessment of the damage caused.

A press release from Ndu Ughamadu, Group General Manager, Group Public Affairs Division of the Corporation disclosed that, the ELP which is a natural gas pipeline, supplies gas from Escravos region of the Niger Delta area to Lagos.

According to the statement, "the pipeline also supplies gas to power plants in the South West, in addition to feeding the West Africa Gas Pipeline System".

"The incineration of the ELP, which was built in 1989, was suspected to have been caused by a bush fire January 2, 2018 at Abakila, in Ondo State", it stated.

Ughamadu in the press release said; "NNPC firemen were drafted to the scene and were able to contain the fire from the leak point of the pipeline incident. However, the fire could not be extinguished due to the high pressure of the line".

"To put off the fire, the line would require being isolated and depressurized, which might lead to a complete shutdown of the pipeline segment for repair works to be carried out", he stated.

According to the GGM, Public Affairs Division of the NNPC, "the exercise will affect gas supply to customers in Ondo, Ogun and Lagos State with subsequent shutdown of the following power plants with a combined generating capacity of 1,143MW: Egbin, Lagos, Olorunshogo, PEL Olorunshogo, Ogun, Paras Power Plant, Ogun and Omotosho plant, Ondo States.