WAGP 'to cost nearly twice original price'

8 October 2009

The cost of the West African Gas Pipeline (WAGP) is expected to exceed its original estimated price by $400 million (£249.2 million).

Nigeria's deputy minister of energy Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah was quoted by the Lagos Independent that as saying a delay in implementation was partly to blame for the excess.

Human interference was another problem. "Some groups use all sorts of means to sabotage gas transportation. These acts of vandalism pose a serious threat to the WAGP, which has not yet been gassed up," he explained.

The company noted public education among the coastal communities would be one of the priorities in the run-up to implementation.

Speaking at the Off Shore Pipeline Protection seminar in Accra attended by collaborators United States Aid for International Development and organised by WAGP, Mr Buah urged the quick completion and rigorous oversight of the project.

In related news, the gas flare problems in the Escravos-Lagos pipeline system are set to be tackled thanks to a new engineering proposal from the Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria.

Category: Energy