The West African Gas Pipeline Company Limited (WAPCo) has revised the timeline for its offshore pipeline cleaning and inspection, commonly referred to as “pigging”.
Originally planned to begin on January 20, 2025, the exercise will now start on February 3, 2025, to better address the concerns of key stakeholders.
WAPCo in a statement on Wednesday, January 15, said the four-week operation will temporarily halt the reverse gas flow from Ghana’s Western Region to Tema and lead to the shutdown of essential facilities in Tema, Lomé (Togo), and Cotonou (Benin). During this period, WAPCo will replace subsea valves at critical points to improve operational safety.
The cleaning and inspection are part of standard regulatory practices aimed at ensuring the West African Gas Pipeline (WAGP) operates safely and efficiently. The project covers the entire pipeline network, which runs from Itoki in Ogun State, Nigeria, to Takoradi in Ghana’s Western Region.
The maintenance is divided into two phases. The initial phase, completed in December 2024, involved cleaning and inspecting the onshore section of the pipeline within Nigeria. The second phase, set from February 3 to March 2, 2025, will concentrate on the offshore segment, spanning from Badagry in Lagos State, Nigeria, to Takoradi, Ghana.
WAPCo noted that it performs these inspections every five years to preserve the integrity of the WAGP and ensure the pipeline continues to operate safely and reliably across the West African region.
