BY KUNLE KALEJAYE
WEST African Gas Pipeline Company, WAGPCO, has revealed plans to increase its current gas distribution of 150 million standard cubic feet, scf per day, to 470 million scf/day.

The Station Supervisor, WAGPCO,Mr. Gbenga Agboola, said the company is currently transporting 150 million standard cubic feet gas to West African regions adding that the expansion will take place in phases.

“We are currently transporting 150 million standard cubic feet gas to our customers and plans are on ground to transport 470 million scf gas to our customers. But this will be done in phases, from 150 million scf to 300 scf before we arrive at 470 scf.

We are not waiting for our customers to demand for it because we know that the market will grow. Plans are already on ground. Our machineries and technical crew are already working toward the expansion of our current gas facilities.”

Speaking on the function of the Lagos Beach Compressor Station, LBCS, Agboola said it is a booster facility in the WAGP pipeline system that enables it to increase gas pressure and export it at a higher pressure.

“To do this, the gas must be conditioned, which refer to removal of liquids and impurities by physical separation methods equipment. This is not only necessary for safe pipelining of the gas but also for safe gas compression as liquid cannot be compressed,” he said.

The plant supervisor added that gas comes into LBCS via a 30” pipeline and discharges through a 20” pipeline to the offshore piping then it flows into the offshore piping, and it is distributed to four Regulating and Metering Stations downstream at Cotonou, in the Republic of Benin, Lome in Cote D’Ivoire, and Tema and Takoradi in Ghana.

To overcome the pressure losses in the downstream of the Lagos Beach and to ensure the desired flow delivery capacity, Agboola said the gas is thereby compressed, adding that the major reasons for the compression is to enable more gas volume to be transported, and for the pipeline to be line packed so as to provide volume for supply to customers in times of low gas supply pressure regimes. The compression is also to reduce the phenomenon of gas condensations, which has a high tendency to occur as the pressure reduces to the detriment of the subsea offshore pipeline and can rapidly increase condensation and lead to hydrate formation.

He noted that the onshore pipeline consists of 30-inch onshore pipeline, total length of pipeline ROW is 56km from Itoki R&M Station to LBCS and width of 25meters, two mid-line valves at strategic places; KP13 & KP39 and Continuous surveillance and patrol carried out on the ROW.

He further stressed that in the event of fire, the company does don’t extinguish gas fire. “We don’t extinguish fire. What we do in case there is a fire outbreak, which we don’t pray for, is to shut down the gas source to prevent the fire from spreading to other parts of the facility. We have installed smoke and gas detectors in various parts of the plant.

“We also have a firewater system which provides sufficient quantity of water that can be used in case of fire emergency. The system consists of firewater tank (302 M³), two mechanical driven firewater pumps (454 M³/Hr), two jockey pump and four fire monitors and hydrants that are strategically located”.

The plant supervisor added that the drains and flare systems of the gas plant, which consist of Flare Scrubber (100 MMSCFD), Atmospheric sump tank (11.8 M³), Liquid storage tank (23.8 M³), and Flare Stack, collect all the waste hydrocarbon liquids and vented gases from various vessels and pipes and properly dispose the gas through the flare and store the liquid.