No Death Recorded In Bayelsa Pipeline Explosion As NNPC Denies Involvement

Following reports of a pipeline explosion in Nembe, Bayelsa, Aiteo Exploration Ltd has confirmed the incident, assuring that no life was lost in the Friday explosion on the crude export pipeline which burned till Saturday.

Public Relations Manager of Aiteo, Ndiana-Abasi Mathew, confirmed the incident to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Saturday.

“There is no official statement at the moment but I can gladly inform you that the fire has been contained and no lives were lost,” he said

Reacting to the report, the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) said it has no record of pipeline explosion in region.

The Group General Manager, Group Public Affairs Division of the corporation, Ndu Ughamadu, in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), in Abuja, on Saturday dissociated the corporation from the incident.

”It is not our pipeline, it is Aiteo that was mentioned, which ordinarily they are supposed to be on joint venture with NNPC.

“I have cross-checked with our downstream unit that manages our pipeline and they said that they didn’t have such records,” he said.

The Nembe Creek Trunk Line explosion, with a capacity of conveying 150,000 barrels of crude daily to the Bonny oil export terminal, will adversely affect crude export, having been put out of use.

It was learnt that the oil export line was shut for emergency repairs following a leak when the incident occurred and discharged residual crude and gas trapped in the pipeline.

SOURCE: ripplesnigeria.com