Pan Ocean’s AEPP to boost crude exports by 160,000bpd

Pan Ocean’s Amukpe-Escravos Pipeline Project (AEPP) in Delta State, is set to boost Nigeria’s crude oil exports by 160,000 barrels per day. Pan Ocean said its project which is scheduled to come on stream by early 2018, will also serve as an alternative to the much troubled Trans Forcados Pipeline (TFP) for oil companies operating in the western Niger Delta. The company had awarded a contract for the construction of AEPP to Fenog Nigeria Limited, an indigenous company in 2011. Speaking on the project, Senior Pipeline Engineer and Project Lead, AEPP, John Okusolubo, stated “The primary objective of AEPP is to ensure that ther e is no disruption to crude oil export like the scenario we experienced on the TFP over the past 16 months where there was a total collapse of crude export. Nigeria’s experience and history has shown that it is not wise to be highly dependent on a particular source. That is why we have AEPP as alternative to TFP which has been our major means of exporting crude oil as a joint venture (JV) partner.”

According him, “the construction of the AEPP entails the use of continuous Horizontal Directional Drilling (HDD) method to install the entire pipeline length for the purpose of security from the act of vandalism which is prevalent in the domain.

“The project’s objective is to provide Pan Ocean JV and other Niger Delta mid-western producers like Seplat, Nigerian Petroleum Development Company (NPDC), Conoil, Sahara and other oil producers in the area an alternative export pipeline route to the existing TFP that has been a casualty of many militant attacks.

“Nigeria’s crude export capability dwindled in the past  two years because of the massive vandalism. The TFP has a daily capacity of 240,000 bpd, with average daily flows ranging between 200,000 bpd and 240,000 bpd. Amid it’s shutdown, Nigeria’s crude oil production fell from 2 million bpd to as low as 1.27 million bpd, losing its position as Africa’s number one crude oil producer and falling behind Angola several times over the past year.

“The AEPP is going to be a major export line, it also gives opportunity for other injectors who may also be stalled by the erratic vandalism of the TFP to join in transport crude to Escravos together. This great achievement means Pan Ocean has an alternative line to export its crude and has also created an opportunity for others who have been using TFP to also export their crude without disruption. This project will help the country to continue to flow their crude and keep the economy alive,” he said.