(Reuters) – Crude oil flowing into Nigeria’s Trans Niger Pipeline has been routed through an alternative line after blasts ruptured the main line on Tuesday, a spokesperson for Renaissance told Reuters.
The spokesperson said the alternative line passed an integrity test on Wednesday and subsequently crude was diverted as repairs continued on the main line. He also said that after preliminary investigations, arson was suspected.
The Trans Niger Pipeline, with a capacity of around 450,000 barrels per day, is one of two pipelines exporting Bonny Light crude from Nigeria, Africa’s biggest oil producer.
It is owned by Nigerian oil consortium Renaissance Group, after Shell’s local unit sold its shares to Renaissance Energy, which includes Nigerian exploration and production companies Aradel Energy, First E & P, Waltersmith, and ND Western, along with the international energy group Petroline.
(Reporting by Isaac Anyaogu in Lagos and Harshita Meenaktshi in Bengaluru; Editing by Kirsten Donovan)
