The Soku gas pipeline near the Soku-Elok (Abua)-Rumuji-Bonny export terminal in Rivers state has reportedly experienced an explosion.
Christian Otiasah, a Soku community environmental manager, confirmed the development, stating that the explosion caused a fire that started late Saturday evening.
While the cause of the explosion was unknown at the time of reporting, Otiasah stated that the event happened on March 22 between 10 and 11 p.m.
“There was an explosion and there was an attendant fire. The fire has been put off. It was put off because the Soku gas plant is automated such that depending on the impact, it can shut down itself,” he said.
“In other words, it can also isolate affected lines and starve off that line. If you starve the source of oxygen, the fire will naturally go off.
“The explosion actually occurred along the delivery gas line, not in the gas plant.”
The event occurred nearly a week after an explosion broke a section of the Trans-Niger Pipeline (TNP) in Bodo community, Gokana local government area (LGA) of the state.
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The TNP is a vital federal oil transport line that supplies crude to the Bonny export terminal in Rivers. Previously run by the Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria Limited (SPDC), the TNP was temporarily shut down due to the explosion, which also raised concerns about possible environmental harm and disruptions to the
On March 19, Tony Okonedo, Renaissance Group’s spokesperson, told newsmen that operations have resumed at the facility following a “third-party intervention”.
