Seplat Energy Plc has announced that it has begun commercial injection of crude oil through the new Amukpe-Escravos pipeline.

The 67km mostly underground pipeline is expected to provide a reliable and secure export route for liquids from Seplat Energy’s OML 4, 38 and 41, connecting them with the Chevron-operated Escravos Terminal.

It has a capacity of 160,000 barrels per day, of which the Seplat Energy/NPDC joint venture is entitled to inject 35,000bpd.

Dewatering was completed on July 29, 2022, and the Site Acceptance Test was currently underway with commercial volumes, Seplat stated in a statement.

Until now, the company relied on the Trans-Forcados System, which experienced numerous disruptions in recent years due to pipeline maintenance and vandalism, impacting the company’s revenues.

The Chief Executive Officer, Seplat Energy, Roger Brown, was quoted as saying, “The commercial launch of the Amukpe-Escravos Pipeline is a significant event for Seplat Energy and for Nigeria.

“It offers a more secure and reliable export route that will assure higher revenues and profitability for Seplat Energy, enabling us to make a larger contribution to Nigeria’s economy.

We commend the work that has made this possible and appreciate the efforts of our partners and all contractors involved to create this more reliable and secure export route for Nigeria’s oil.”