Explosion rocks oil facilities in Bayelsa

Unknown persons have reportedly set crude oil installations on fire in the Niger Delta.

The oil facilities, which belong to Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) and Nigerian Agip Oil Company (NAOC), are located at Ikarama community in Yenagoa Local Government Area of Bayelsa.

They were on Monday set alight by unidentified persons.

Ben Warder, a youth leader in Ikarama near the incident site, told NAN on Tuesday that residents heard several sounds from the explosions that rocked the oil fields on Monday.

“The site is not far from Ikarama, we heard sounds from the blast and it sounded like dynamites and 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 to air pollution from the gas pipeline and crude leak which members of the affected communities are battling to cope with,” Mr. Warder told NAN.

Confirming the incident on Tuesday, Michael Adande, an SPDC Spokesman told NAN that the oil firm had received reports of the incident and shut down the facility to curtail impact.

“We have report of 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,” Mr. Adande said.