Italian energy group Eni said it would lift a force majeure on exports of Nigerian Brass River crude oil this week after it completed repairs to a pipeline damaged by a blast.
The group had cut oil and gas exports from its Brass Export terminal.
“The force majeure is expected to be lifted by this week,” Eni said in a statement.
Disruptions to oil production are common in the oil-rich Niger Delta region, where pipelines are often vandalised and crude stolen for illegal refining.
Both Eni and Shell had declared a force majeure, with Shell’s measure having been in place since March 3 and applies to its Bonny export program. Eni’s relates to Brass crude cargoes and follows a pipeline blast in the Bayelsa state. Force majeure is a legal step that allows companies not to meet contractual obligations for reasons that are out of their control.
Shipments of the two grades had been planned at a rate of 170,000 barrels a day next month but have been in a state of decline over the past few years, according to loading programs seen by Bloomberg. Flows back in 2020 were planned at about 320,000 barrels a day.
A force majeure doesn’t necessarily mean the entirety of supply will be lost for a given period of time. Stored cargoes could still be shipped and repairs would allow shipments to resume.
