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Exports of liquefied gas from Nigeria suspended over conflict with Maritime authorities

Two ships are staying at the terminal now, but another one has been blockaded at the approach to the terminal

PRETORIA, June 25 (Itar-Tass) - The exports of liquefied natural gas from Nigeria have been suspended because of a conflict with the Maritime administration over pay charged for passage of oil tankers to Bonny offshore terminal in the southeast of Nigeria.

On Tuesday the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) announced that it had issued the instructions to blockade the passage of gas tankers to the terminal of the Nigeria LNG company. NIMASA spokesman Isichei Osamgbi said that overdue debt owed by NIGERIA LNG exceeds 20 million dollars.

Two ships are staying at the terminal now, but another one has been blockaded at the approach to the terminal.

Nonetheless, Nigeria LNG representatives claim that they paid the 20-million-dollar debt back in May when NIMASA also blockaded access to the terminal. The conflict was settled then only thanks to the assistance of Nigerian Petroleum Minister Deziani Allison-Madueke.

The Nigeria LNG representatives said the potential losses inflicted by the NIMASA sanctions mighty be enormous. The LNG enterprise at the Bonny terminal accounts for around seven percent of LNG global supplies.

In 2012 Nigeria became the fourth biggest world LNG exporter with the overall volume of LNG supplies to the world market estimated at 19.6 million metric tons. Qatar, which LNG deliveries to the world market amount to 74. 2 million metric tons, is the leader on the market.

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