Adewale Sanyaolu
AMIDST increasing levels of sabotage on oil installations and assets across the country, Umugini Pipeline Infrastructure Limited (UPIL), yesterday, announced it successfully flowed about 18,990,982.34 barrels since its commencement of commercial inception in 2014.
Managing Director of UPIL, Mr. Blessing Ayemhere, stated this at the unveiling of the company’s new logo and brand identity held at its corporate head office in Lagos.
Ayemhere, said UPIL was a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV), formed in 2011 between Midwestern Hydrocarbon Pipeline Company Limited (MHPCL) and Energia JV to take advantage of opportunities in the oil and gas production around Oil Mining Lease (56) area.
He explained that UPIL is a pipeline infrastructure company that handles and transport stabilised crude oil on behalf of other oil and gas producing companies to crude oil terminal facilities with a design capacity of 45,000 barrels per day(bpd), while its technical capacity is about 82,500 bpd.
According to him, the 12’’x 51.4km pipeline extends from Midwestern GGF facilities in the Umusadege area of Kwale to the Nigerian Petroleum Development Company (NPDC) manifold facilities at Eriemu, in Agbara-Otor, Delta State.
The oil company boss added that the pipeline also serves as an alternative crude evacuation route to the pre-existing Umusadege-NAOC Brass Terminal evacuation route that connects through the Shell Trans Forcados Pipeline (TFP) to the Forcados Terminal.
He said the pipeline, was designed for an operating life of 25 years with Midwestern Oil and Gas Company Limited as the designed operator of the asset on behalf of UPIL having signed an operating agreement with the owners of pipeline. On its medium to long term plan, Ayemhere said the company plans to diversify its operations to acquire, own and operate pipelines, refineries, storage tanks, terminal, pumping stations and such other facilities and currently expanding its operations to the Eastern part of the Niger Delta.
Others include co-promoting the construction of a 48km pipeline and a floating storage facility for OML 18 crude evacuation and possibly other asset in the region, adding that the facility will also act as an alternative to the Nembe Creek Trunk Line (NCTL).