Daniels Igoni, Yenagoa Explosions have damaged oil and gas facilities belonging to the Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeri...
Daniels Igoni, Yenagoa
Explosions have damaged oil and gas facilities belonging to
the Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria and the Nigerian Agip Oil
Company around Ikarama in the Yenagoa Local Government Area of Bayelsa State.
It was gathered that the blasts may have resulted from
attacks on the oil facilities by unknown persons on Monday.
A youth leader in the community, Ben Warder, said residents
heard loud sounds from the affected oilfields and were very afraid to go near
the impacted area.
“The site is not far from Ikarama. We heard sounds from the
blasts and it sounded like dynamites,” Warder said.
“It was not safe to go near, so when the situation became
quiet we had to trace what happened and it turned out that Shell’s gas pipeline
and Agip’s crude lines were destroyed.
“The incident resulted in air pollution from the gas
pipeline and crude leak which members of the affected communities are battling
to cope with,” he added.
A spokesperson for the SPDC, Michael Adande, confirmed the
incident, saying the impacted facility had been shut down to curtail further
damage.
He said, “We have a report of an interference on our
pipeline about 1 kilometre from Ikarama community in Bayelsa State.
“We immediately shut-in the line and we have informed the
relevant regulatory government agencies and stakeholders.
“A government-led joint investigation team will determine
the cause of the interference.”
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