Project Profile
Value: US$1 billion
Location: from Nigeria to Benin, Togo and Ghana, Africa
Length: 678 kilometre
Capacity: 4.81 million cubic metres per day
Start-up Year: 2017
The 678 kilometre West African Gas Pipeline (WAGP) links into the existing Escravos-Lagos pipeline at the Nigeria Gas Company’s Itoki Natural Gas Export Terminal in Nigeria and proceeds to a beachhead in Lagos. From there it moves offshore to Takoradi, in Ghana, with gas delivery laterals from the main line extending to Cotonou (Benin), Lome (Togo) and Tema (Ghana). The Escravos-Lagos pipeline system has a capacity of 800 MMscfd, and the WAPCo system will initially carry a volume of 170MMscfd and peak over time at a capacity of 460MMscfd. The main offshore pipeline runs East to West at an average water depth of 35 metres though some sections such as the south east of Ghana, south of Lome and the Benin – Nigerian frontier ranges between 50 to 70 metres. Its range from the coast is as varied as the depth. South of Cape St. Paul in Ghana, it is as close as 3.5 nautical miles (6.5 kilometres) while at its widest section south of Winneba also in Ghana, it is 17.5 nautical miles (32.5 kilometres). The ranges of the Tees from the coast are approximately as follows:
Cotonou - 7 nautical miles (13 Km).
Lome - 10.3 nautical miles (19 Km).
Tema -7.8. nautical miles (14 Km).
The main pipeline is 20 inches in diameter. Cotonou and Lome laterals are 8 inches respectively while the Tema lateral is 18 inches. The termination point at Takoradi (Aboadzi) forms part of the main pipeline. WAGP transports purified natural gas free of heavy hydrocarbons, liquids and water, ideally suited as fuel for power plants and industrial applications. Eighty-five per cent of the gas is for power generation and the remaining for Industrial Applications. The Volta River Authority’s Takoradi Thermal Power Plant in Ghana, CEB of Benin and Togo are WAPCo’s foundation customers. The West African Gas Pipeline Company limited (WAPCo) is a limited liability company that owns and operates the West African Gas Pipeline (WAGP).
The WAGP runs from Nigeria to Benin, Togo and Ghana, a distance of 678 km, of which 569 km is offshore. The pipeline cost just under US$1 billion to build. The most obvious candidate for inclusion to the extension of the WAGP would be Cote d’Ivoire, which has struggled with power generation difficulties while also offering large enough economic scope for further supply. There have also been suggestions that the WAGP could be extended as far round the coast as Senegal, which is also an ECOWAS member, although the expense of such an undertaking would likely be prohibitive. The WAGP was intended to allow Nigeria to exploit its substantial gas reserves, while allowing Benin, Togo and Ghana to reduce their consumption of liquid fuels for power generation. While the economic rationale behind the link may be sound, it has struggled to make headway and supplies have been interrupted repeatedly.
Operators:
West African Gas Pipeline Company limited (WAPCo): Operator with 100% interest
Chevron West African Gas Pipeline Ltd: 36.9% interest in WAPCo
Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation: 24.9% interest in WAPCo
Shell Overseas Holdings Limited: 17.9% interest in WAPCo
Takoradi Power Company Limited: 16.3% interest in WAPCo
Societe Togolaise de Gaz: 2% interest in WAPCo
Societe BenGaz S.A.: 2% interest in WAPCo
Contractors:
Penspen: FEED contract to work on a study on the potential extension of the West African Gas Pipeline (WAGP). The engineering company had signed a contract with the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), providing a formal start to the feasibility study. The company would examine the current state of the WAGP and also look at a possible future network extension to other members of ECOWAS. The feasibility study will take 18 months and will involve workshops for the reviewing of progress and study results, involving ECOWAS experts and other institutions.