….As ExxonMobil restores 15,000 bpd

THE United States energy firm, Chevron, said yesterday it had suspended production from an oil pipeline in Delta State, which was breached on Friday.

Chevron said it was investigating the damage to the Dibi-Abiteye pipeline, which feeds the Escravos oil stream, but did not comment on how much production would be lost.

In a related development, ExxonMobil disclosed, yesterday, it had restarted 15,000 barrels per day (bpd) of Nigerian Oso condensate production, which was shut-in following a militant raid on an offshore platform on November 14.

Escravos crude exports were due to be around 123,000 barrels per day in December, according to loading programmes. It was not clear how much this would be reduced by the pipeline damage.

“We have suspended production to minimize environmental impact and have informed relevant government agencies and other stakeholders,” Chevron said in a statement.

“The breach is being investigated and we are reviewing our operations.”

ExxonMobil restarts Oso condensate

It would be recalled that Nigeria’s main militant group, the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta, MEND, said it was behind the November attack in which seven Exxon workers were kidnapped and later rescued.

Oso is one of Nigeria’s biggest condensate fields with about eight platforms whose total output averages about 75,000 bpd.

The attack by armed gang members prompted the U.S. energy firm to shut in 45,000 bpd of condensate and natural gas production, which is now beginning to come back onstream.

“We have restarted 15,000 barrels per day of condensate from the Oso field. No firm time for restart of Natural Gas Liquids (NGL) production is available at this time,” Exxon said in a statement.

Nigeria is Africa’s largest oil and gas industry but years of attacks on pipelines and oil infrastructure has held back production and investment.

President Goodluck Jonathan brokered an amnesty with militants last August, leading to more than a year without major unrest but there has been a resurgence in violence in the last two months.