The existing Nembe Creek trunkline collects crude oil from 14 oil pumping stations across the Nembe Creek, Krakama, Awoba, Ekulama and San Bartholomew oil fields and transport it to the Cawthorne Channel field and Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) of Nigeria’s Bonny Export Terminal for dehydration and export.

The replacement pipeline has a greater capacity than the existing pipeline to accommodate a planned production increase, and security of the pipeline has been improved to stop crude oil theft.

As a result of deterioration in the integrity of the existing trunkline due to the harsh Niger Delta environment, vandalism and age-related deterioration, the replacement project was initiated to improve, modernise and restore the technical integrity of the facilities.

The project involved the construction of three sections of pipeline including:

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  • 5 km of 12 inch diameter pipeline from the Nembe Creek III manifold to the Nembe Creek tie-in manifold;
  • 44 km of 24 inch diameter pipeline from Nembe Creek to San Bartholomew; and,
  • 46 km of 30 inch diameter pipeline from San Bartholomew to Cawthorne Channel.

Spread A involved the construction of a 49 km pipeline, consisting of the 12 inch diameter, 5 km segment and the 24 inch diameter, 44 km segment. This section is located in the harsh mangrove swamp terrain of the Niger Delta region of Nigeria, and traverses five neighbourhoods consisting of approximately 100 communities in both the Bayelsa and Rivers states in the Niger Delta region.

The installation required six major river crossings, the longest being approximately 1.1 km. Another 44 river and creek crossings of various sizes required extensive dredging activities, and the fabrication and site installation of one main tie-in manifold, six block valve platforms, four pig traps and associated piping.

The new line runs parallel to the existing Nembe Creek Pipeline, within an expanded right-of-way (RoW). The existing line is now to be decommissioned.

The contract for Spread B of the pipeline – 46 km of 30 inch diameter pipeline from San Bartholomew to Cawthorne Channel – was awarded to Saipem in 2007.

Benefiting the community

The replacement project is being undertaken by a joint venture comprising of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (55 per cent), SPDC Ltd (30 per cent), Total E&P Nigeria Ltd (10 per cent) and the Nigerian Agip Oil Company Ltd (5 per cent).

The Nembe Creek Pipeline construction is currently the largest single project under the SPDC joint venture’s ongoing asset integrity programme that has replaced more than 1,000 km of major pipelines and flowlines in the last five years.