Shell repairs Nigeria flowstations

By Randy Fabi

ABUJA (Reuters) - Royal Dutch Shell (RDSa.L) has resumed operations at flowstations feeding into its Trans-Niger oil pipeline in southern Nigeria, a spokeswoman said on Friday, two weeks after it was shut down due to a fire.

The Anglo-Dutch giant said it finished repairs at the Bomu manifold in Ogoniland, in the Niger Delta region, last Monday and has restarted production.

The cause of the blaze that shut operations on April 12 was not known.

"Repairs have been completed. Production resumed a few days ago and is ramping up," Shell spokeswoman Caroline Wittgen said.

She declined to say how much production has resumed.

Traders said prior to the disruption the pipeline carried around 120,000 barrels per day of Bonny Light crude, although they were unsure how much of this was shut in.

Bonny Light is a sweet Nigerian crude that is popular with U.S. and European refiners.

Wittgen said force majeure, which frees Shell from its contractual obligations, remained in place for Bonny Light shipments.