May 12, 2010 5:54 PM EDT
ExxonMobil's Nigerian unit has declared force majeure on Qua Iboe crude oil shipments due to damage to a key pipeline, a spokesman said on Wednesday.
The U.S. oil major declined to specify how much production was affected but trade sources say as much as 150,000 barrels per day could be affected.
The news comes less than a week after Royal Dutch Shell declared its own force majeure on Bonny Light crude oil liftings as a result of leaks and fires on its Trans Niger pipeline.
Qua Iboe and Bonny Light are the two main Nigerian oil grades traded in the physical crude markets. They usually trade at a premium to Middle East crude because they are easier to refine into fuel products, making them popular with U.S. and European refiners.
"Mobil Producing Nigeria today confirms that it has declared a force majeure due to difficulty in meeting projected liftings due to repair work on a section of a pipeline," the Exxon spokesman said.
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Exxon's Nigerian unit last week discovered a leak at one of its pipelines that delivers crude production to its onshore storage and loading facilities in Nigeria's southeastern Akwa Ibom state.
A company spokesman said the cause of the leak was accidental and there was no evidence of sabotage.
Exxon said it could not speculate on how long the repairs would take to complete.
Traders said May and June Qua Iboe shipments could be delayed between two and 10 days.
Crude output at the Qua Iboe terminal averages around 400,000 bpd. The U.S. firm has a 40 percent equity stake with the remaining 60 percent held by Nigeria's state-run NNPC.
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