West Africa Gas Acquires 2 LPG Vessels

Some journalists who were recently on a tour of the MT Africa Gas vessel at the Tema Port.

The West Africa Gas Limited (WAGL), an energy company owned by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and Oceanbed, a member of the Sahara Group, have acquired a Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) vessel for commercial activities.

The feat, the first to be achieved by any energy company in Africa, would help in diversifying and strengthening the operations of the company.

Built at the Hyundai Mipo Shipyard in May 2014, the LPG ship is the first of two vessels ordered by WAGL and designed for transporting Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG). Each of the vessels has a capacity of 38,000 cubic metres.

Named MT Africa Gas at its inauguration in Korea recently, the ship would first dock at the Tema Port in Ghana from its maiden voyage from Hyundai Mipo Dockyard in South Korea.  The other ship, MT Sahara Gas, is expected to arrive in West Africa in the coming weeks.

Sharing his thoughts on this new milestone achieved by WAGL, Roland Omoreegbe, Managing Director of the company, said that the acquisition of the vessel would help in actualizing the vision of WAGL to be the foremost gas company on the continent.

“Our decision to acquire these vessels demonstrates clearly our commitment to serving the energy needs of all classes of consumers in Africa and beyond.”

“This strategic investment,” he added, “is very crucial and underscores our commitment to meeting energy needs across the continent and indeed globally.”

WAGL currently has a Gas Sale Agreement with the Government of Ghana for the supply of 180,000 standard cubic feet of gas, even though construction at the Tema Port to receive first gas for the thermal plants in the Tema energy enclave is underway.

The WAGL proposition includes the construction of a jetty, dredging of a channel within the ports and extension of the break water, as well as other relevant facilities to receive gas from their Floating Storage Regasification Unit (FSRU) MT Golar Tundra, which is currently anchored approximately four nautical miles offshore Tema.

The company was incorporated in March 2013 as a joint venture between the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation LNG Ltd and Ocean Bed Trading Limited.