International oil company, Shell has confirmed that exports of Nigeria’s Forcados grade of crude oil resumed over the weekend even as it expressed optimism that Nigeria’s oil production could rise soon.
Africa Today News, New York reports that the resumption is coming approximately a month after loadings of the medium sweet grade were suspended because of a potential leak at the export terminal.
Sources had told reporters on Tuesday that exports of the grade, which was scheduled to ship 220,000 barrels per day (bpd) in July, were halted on the evening of July 12 after workers saw fumes near a single buoy mooring where oil was being loaded onto a vessel.
A single buoy mooring is essentially a floating loading facility that allows large tankers to moor offshore to discharge cargoes.
Shell confirmed that injections into the terminal had been curtailed after the report, though no force majeure was declared.
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The Shell said the cause of the suspension would be determined by a joint investigation between company and community representatives in tandem with government agencies.
The suspension of Forcados loadings contributed to Nigeria becoming the second-biggest contributor to the drop in OPEC crude oil output in July, a Reuters survey showed.
In another report, the firm that won the concessioning of the N50bn Nigerian Marítime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), modular floating dock, Melsmore Marine Nigeria limited, has relocated the facility from Naval dockyard to the waterfront of the Dolphine Jetty.
The Dolphine jetty was at the NPA Dockyard and used to be the Continental Shipyard.
Also, the managing director, Melsmore, Danny Fuchs, had earlier engaged the Management of NIMASA and discussed the details of relocating the Modular floating Dock to the Dolphine Jetty which the Agency leased from the Nigerian Ports Authority.
Danny noted that they are committed to executing their project of relocating the Modular Floating Dock
“Our job is to move the Modular Floating Dock from the present location to the waterfront of the Dolphine Jetty at Apapa. THSD SEA LION which occupied the leased area at the waterfront have vacated the jetty now. We have a commercial understanding with NIMASA on how to execute this project.
We have submitted a feasibility study taking note of the Mooring system required to anchor the Modular Floating Dock at the Dolphine Jetty. The Mooring System supplied by the Manufacturers of the Modular Floating Dock is made up of two steel piles of 36 meters Length, 2 meters in Diameter and a weight of roughly 48 Tonnes each. These massive piles need to be driven about 20 meters into the Seabed. We will bring our expertise to bear in carrying out this project.