Aiteo Confirms Nembe Blast

Aiteo Exploration Limited, that operators of the 97 kilometre Nembe Creek Trunk Line (NCTL), has confirmed there is no loss of life in Friday’s explosion on the crude export pipeline.

Source : ng-construction.com

Aiteo officials said that the fire from the explosion, which burned till Saturday, had been put out without loss of life.

The NCTL situation, 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.

Public Relations Manager of Aiteo, Ndiana-Abasi Mathew, confirmed the incident  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,” Mathew said.

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.

Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC), in 2015, divested its equity in OML 29 and transferred its interest in NCTL for $1.7 bn to Aiteo, an indigenous Oil and Gas Exploration and Production firm.

Community sources at Nembe in Bayelsa have bemoaned negative impact of the explosion, saying that the incident led to both gas leakage and oil spill, compelling them to flee.

Spokesperson of the Nembe Chiefs Council, Nengi James–Eriworio, who confirmed the development, said the explosion caused massive destruction of the area with air and water heavily polluted.

-NAN