By Yunus Yusuf

Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) has resumed export operations at the Forcados Oil Export Terminal, where repair works on the pipeline has been going for some days.

The SPDC’s Media Relations Manager, Mrs Abimbola Essien-Nelson, confirmed this on Friday in Lagos.

SPDC had said that the Forcados Oil Terminal would resume export operations by the end of October, when the ongoing essential repairs would have been completed.

Essen-Nelson was quoted to have said in a statement, on Oct.12, that in addition to the repairs, the company was working to remove and clamp theft points on the onshore pipelines to ensure full crude oil receipt at the terminal.

The Forcados Export pipeline which has a capacity to export over 400,000 barrels of crude per day was vandalised by crude oil thieves.

The vandalism has hampered the functionality of the pipeline, thereby hindering the transportation of crude oil through the pipeline to the export terminal

The Forcados Oil Pipeline System is the second largest network in the Niger Delta, and transports oil, water and associated gas from fields in the western Delta to the Forcados oil terminal.

The Trans Forcados Pipeline (TFP) is the major trunk line, into which feed multiple branches from onshore fields.

At the Forcados River manifold, its capacity is 850,000 per day. Until 2012, the pipeline was operated by Shell

According to Essien-Nelson, the active illegal connections to SPDC joint venture’s production lines and facilities in western Niger Delta and the inactive illegal connection to the onshore section of the 48” Forcados Export Line are in the company’s ongoing programme.

She noted that the programme was to remove illegal connections on the pipelines that feed the terminal.(NAN)