Shell Nigeria shutdown the 180,000b/d Trans Niger Pipeline (TNP), a key oil pipeline in Nigeria that carries Bonny Light crude oil for exportation, All Africa reported. The company halted operations at the pipeline as a precautionary measure after fire was observed on the pipeline’s right-of-way at Gio in Ogoni land.

A spokesperson for the company, Precious Okolobo, said: “a joint investigation visit will determine the cause and impact of the fire,” as the fire also traverses the right-of-way of the Bonny-Refinery pipeline belonging to the Petroleum Products Marketing Company (PPMC), according to the Daily Trust.

Shell had recently repaired and reopened the pipeline after a leak occurred in June.

This is event is expected to negatively impact Nigeria’s crude oil export capacity. Moreover, gas supplies to Afam VI power plant and other critical plants necessary for power generation and supply to parts of the country could be constrained as a result of the incident.

This comes on the heals of the Niger Delta Avengers (NDA) claiming responsibility for bombing the Bonny 48-inche crude oil export line in Rivers State in Nigeria.