Yemisi Izuora
Prospects are rife that Nigeria’s crude oil exports are on track to edge higher in February and this is due in part to deferred January cargoes, loading programmes.
The loading programme of 1.62 million barrels per day (bpd) on 50 cargoes comes despite only three cargoes of Bonga crude being planned, compared with seven in January, said Reuters.
Oil traders said the field has planned maintenance in the second half of the month. Field operator Shell did not immediately respond to a query about maintenance plans.
Much of the gain is from cargoes that were meant to load earlier, with several ExxonMobil-operated crude oil grades having been delayed by a strike by workers in December.
The original export plans for both January and December had been higher than the February programme, but both fell short of the plans because of delays and, in the case of December, the cancellation of Forcados cargoes after attacks on the export pipeline.
If the plan holds at current levels, it will mark the highest bpd exports since November.