Reuters - Nigeria needs until June to repair Forcados pipeline - Kachikwu

Repair work on a Nigerian pipeline feeding the key Forcados export terminal will last until June, the country's oil minister said on Wednesday, confirming a Reuters report from last week. "The line won't be ready until June," Emmanuel Ibe Kachikwu told reporters.

Unknown gunmen attacked the pipeline run by Royal Dutch Shell in February, reducing Nigeria's oil output by some 250,000 barrels a day.

Kachikwu also said Africa's top crude producer hoped to sign by July agreements with foreign partners to overhaul its three outdated refineries in Port Harcourt, Warri and Kaduna.

Crude Oil Price: Doha talks fail, new attempt to reach production agreement possible in June

Oil producing constructions did not manage to sign an agreement to freeze oil production at the January level following six hours of negotiations in Doha on Sunday, but they might hold another round of negotiations in June, Nigerian Minister of State for Petroleum Resources Emmanuel Ibe Kachikwu told reporters.

OPEC and non-OPEC members will probably hold negotiations in June, he said.

Participants in the meeting, including the Nigerian minister and Oman Oil and Gas Minister Muhammad al-Rumhi, said countries need more time to agree on the conditions of an oil production freeze.