The West Africa Gas Pipeline Company (WAGPCO) has entered into an arrangement with security agencies in the West African sub-region in order to forestall encroachment on it facilities along the coast of the four counties it serviced.
It said the arrangement would discourage such incidents as the one that led to the damage of its pipeline by a ship which has rendered it out service in the last eight months.
According to Harriet Wereko-Brobby, the company’s general manager, Corporate Affairs, who spoke at the Lagos Beach Compressor site of the company explained that naval personnel from the four countries has also been charged to protect the facility.
“Efforts were underway for WAGPCO to enter into an agreement with Togo’s Navy to carry out strict surveillance on the gas equipment to avoid damage. We are currently engaging with the host communities to ensure that the type of breach we are having now does not occur again.”
She said the company has also gotten the countries to agree on a pipeline protection zones (one mile from the pipeline). “We are going to enter an agreement with the Navy to pay special attention to WAGPCO.”
The Nigeria Navy, she said, has already entered agreement the company to help protect the pipeline from sand mining and this agreement is expected to be extended with them so that they can continue to protect the pipelines in the offshore areas.
“We already have an agreement with the Navy in Benin, but the agreements with the Navy in Ghana and Togo for the protection of the pipelines are underway.”
She reinstated the commitment of WAGPCO to restart gas transportation to the four countries which it services by April 30 2013. The pipeline was damaged in August 2012 and this affected the company’s operations.
The damaged gas pipeline has been undergoing intensive repairs. It is currently undergoing pigging to remove any debris that may still remain in the pipeline before it starts running again.
Also speaking, Olugbenga Agboola, the supervisor, Lagos Beach Compressor Station, WAGPCO explained that water entered the pipeline when it was breached.
He said, “the pipeline had been repaired but we are at the cleaning process to ensure that we don’t supply dirty gas to our customers.
Another speaker, Romeo Obeye, a Health/Environment & Safety specialist, allayed the fear any gas emission that is injurious to the environment and the health of the people. He said, “the plant was designed in such a way that gas could be flared in an environmentally friendly manner.”
In his words, the main by-products of the combustion (water and carbon dioxide) did not constitute any environment threat.
“We obtained air emissions permit from the Federal Ministry of Environment in February 2012.
OLUSOLA BELLO
