The West African Gas Pipeline Company Limited (WAPCo) has officially confirmed its revised schedule for its Offshore Pipeline Cleaning and inspection exercise.
The latest statement released by WAPCo has announced that the much-anticipated Offshore Pipeline Cleaning exercise is set to commence on Monday, February 3, 2025.
This second phase of the cleaning exercise, technically called pigging, was initially scheduled for October 2024 after the first phase was completed. However, a governmental intervention resulted in a postponement to January 20, 2025.
Another intervention by the new government led by the Chief of Staff, Julius Debrah also resulted in another postponement to the latest date. The government’s technical committee cited a shortage of fuel that will power thermal plants as the main reason for the intervention as the government was in haste to secure about US$90 million to procure the fuel for the Offshore Pipeline Cleaning.
Without the intervention by the new government, the country would have been plunged into the dreaded power crisis with businesses and homes taking the most hit.
Things appear to have normalized as the four-week Offshore Pipeline Cleaning exercise is set to begin early next month.
WAPCo says the pigging exercise will temporarily suspend reverse gas flow from Ghana’s Western Region to Tema and shut down key facilities in Tema, Ghana, Lomé, Togo, and Cotonou, Benin.
These measures, although disruptive, are necessary to facilitate comprehensive inspections and the replacement of subsea valves at strategic locations for enhanced operational safety.
“The second phase scheduled to run from February 3 to March 2, 2025, will focus on the offshore section of the WAGP, stretching from Badagry, Lagos State, Nigeria to Takoradi, Western Region, Ghana,” part of WAPCo’s statement read.
It added that, “WAPCo is required to conduct these inspections every five years, as part of efforts to maintain the integrity of the WAGP and ensure its continued safe and reliable operation across the West African region.”
