Explosions damage crude, gas pipelines at Shell, Agip oil fields

Nathan Tamarapreye

Unidentified persons on Monday attacked oil facilities operated by Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) and Nigerian Agip Oil Company (NAOC) at Ikarama community, Yenagoa Local Government Area of Bayelsa.

Mr Ben Warder, a youth leader in Ikarama near the incident site, said on Tuesday that residents heard several sounds from the explosions that rocked the oil fields on Monday but were too scared to approach the area.

“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,” Warder said by telephone.

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

“We have 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,” Adande said.