Sopuruchi Onwuka

The Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited says it has deployed coordinated containment measures following an incident on a section of the Escravos–Lagos Pipeline System (ELPS) in South-West Warri, Delta State.

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The company’s Chief Corporate Communications Officer, Andy Odeh, said on Sunday that the national oil company acted swiftly to secure the affected infrastructure and protect host communities, personnel, and the environment. He confirmed that all relevant sections of the pipeline have been safely and securely isolated.

The incident, which occurred on one of Nigeria’s critical gas supply lines, initially raised concerns about possible disruptions to domestic gas delivery and regional supply through the West African Gas Pipeline (WAGP), which transports Nigerian gas to Benin, Togo, and Ghana.

However, the West African Gas Pipeline Company Limited (WAPCo) moved quickly to reassure customers across the three countries that the ELPS incident would not affect gas supply in the sub-region.

In a statement issued shortly after the incident, the Ghana-based company said its facilities remain fully operational despite the breach on one of its upstream supply pipelines in Nigeria.

WAPCo said there was no intention to shut down the regional gas infrastructure, stressing that gas continues to flow reliably to customers in Ghana, Benin, and Togo.

“The WAGP is fully operational and continues to transport natural gas across the sub-region,” the company said, adding that its engineering and operations teams had implemented comprehensive measures to sustain gas flow.

NNPC Limited later confirmed that a joint preliminary inspection had been carried out at the affected site by technical teams from NNPC, the Nigeria Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), and maintenance contractors. Further assessments are ongoing.

NNPC Gas Infrastructure Company (NGIC), the operator of the ELPS network, has activated its Business Continuity Plan to manage the impact of the incident on stakeholders, including gas shippers and suppliers.

The pipeline breach had sparked fears of a potential energy shortfall in Ghana and neighbouring countries, which rely heavily on gas supplied through the WAGP for thermal power generation. A prolonged shutdown could have worsened existing energy constraints in the region.

WAPCo said those fears were unfounded, noting that the resilience of the WAGP has improved in recent years due to multiple gas feed lines from both Nigeria and Ghana. While the affected pipeline in Nigeria has not yet been fully restored, the company said alternative supply arrangements and system redundancies are currently ensuring uninterrupted gas transmission.

“Our teams, working closely with partners and key stakeholders, have implemented comprehensive measures to sustain gas flow,” WAPCo said.

The company reaffirmed its commitment to safety, reliability, and technical integrity, and said it would continue to provide updates as efforts continue to restore full supply capacity.

NNPC Limited said it remains in close communication with host communities, state authorities, regulators, and other stakeholders, and reiterated its commitment to community safety, environmental protection, and the reliability of its operations across all assets.