The West Africa Gas Pipeline Company (WAPCo) has deferred the decision to cut gas supplies to Ghana, pending outcome of negotiations between a government delegation and Nigeria Gas (N-Gas).
Corporate Affairs Director for WAPCo, Harriet Wereko-Brobbey told Joy News Friday, the company received “verbal information last night” from N-Gas to continue gas supplies to Ghana.
“Gas is flowing through the pipeline as we speak”, she said.
The high level government delegation led by Power Minister Kwabena Donkor stormed Nigeria for talks after WAPCo threatened to cut supplies to Ghana by midnight Friday if Ghana fails to settle over $200 million debt owed the Nigeria-based gas supplier, N-Gas.
Reports indicate the VRA owes N-Gas more than $182 million while the Ghana National Gas Company (Ghana Gas) also owe about $150 million.
On Wednesday, Managing Director of WAPCo, Walter Perez stated at a press conference that the debt owed N-Gas by Ghana was affecting WAPCo’s work.
Ghana has a deal with N-Gas to receive a contractual 120 million standard cubic feet (mmscf) of gas daily, and the government has in the past held several discussions with the gas supplier over the payment of the long-standing debt.
A cut in gas supplies to Ghana will result in a 400 megawatts power shortfall that will worsened the power crisis currently facing the country.
WAPCo owns and operates the West African Gas Pipeline that supplies gas to power producers in Nigeria, Ghana, Benin, Togo and Ivory Coast.
By Myjoy
