Abuja – Royal Dutch Shell shut the Trans Niger oil pipeline after a fire, threatening to worsen a drop in Nigerian output due to unplanned disruptions.
The line can transport about 180 000 barrels a day to the Bonny Export Terminal in the Niger Delta was halted Tuesday due to a blaze at Kpor in Ogoniland, Precious Okolobo, a company spokesman in Lagos, said Thursday by phone.
Shell declined to comment on the impact on production.
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Nigeria’s daily output dropped by 200 000 barrels to 1.45 million in December, ending three months of gains as the African nation struggled to restore capacity after a year of militant attacks on oil infrastructure.
Production fell to 1.39 million barrels in August, the lowest level since 1988, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.