WAPCO Pipeline.

The West Africa Gas Pipeline Co. (WAPCO) started up in late 2008 to supply Nigerian gas to Ghana, Benin and Togo initially at 50 MCF/d. This was raised in early 2009 to 134 MCF/d, with final capacity to exceed 600 MCF/d within a 20-year period. The partners in WAPCO are Chevron (35.7%), NNPC (25%) and Shell (19%), VRA (16.3%), BenGaz (2%) and Societe Togolaise de Gaz (2%).

First gas reached Ghana in early 2009, when that country's new gas-fired power plant started up. Ghana's Volta River Authority (VRA) power utility then said the pipeline had been successfully filled and commissioned. VRA said it was increasing capacity at its Takoradi thermal plant to 660 MW from 550 MW, and switching from liquid fuel to gas to cut costs. The gas is being pumped from the Itoki terminal in south-eastern Nigeria to the western Ghanaian port city of Takoradi. It also provides gas to Benin and Togo. The pipeline had originally been scheduled to start operating in December 2007, but was delayed after leaks were detected in supply pipelines in Nigeria.

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