*Damage minor, no force majeure – Agip
Samuel Oyadongha
3 October 2011, Sweetcrude, Yenagoa- An oil facility, the Obama flow line (Tereke) owned by the Nigerian Agip Oil Company (NAOC) in the Nembe local government area of Bayelsa State was Sunday rocked by explosion.
Although the immediate cause of the explosion at the Nigerian Agip Oil Company (NAOC) facility, which triggered pandemonium in the sleepy Okoroma-Tereke community could not be ascertained.
But sources said the explosion only caused minor damage to the facility which is part of the Obama-Brass line.
Security forces it was learnt are tinkering with the idea that the explosion might have been an act of sabotage from some unknown youths.
The state had in recent times recorded relative lull in cases of pipeline sabotage in the Nembe creek in the wake of the federal government amnesty deal with the then rampaging self styled freedom fighters agitating for environmental justice and restitution for the blighted Niger Delta region, the main stay of the nation economic.
The Italian energy group, Eni in an email forwarded to some newsmen on inquiry over the incident said it had moved in some personnel to effect repair on the damaged part of the flow station and planned no force majeure.
“Eni does not plan to introduce any force majeure on its oil export after the small incident at the pipeline, which is part of Obama-Brass line, an Eni spokesman said.
“It is a very small incident. No force majeure is expected. Works to repair the damage will be completed in the next few hours,” the spokesman said.
However sources from the area said the pipeline had been leaking oil into the creeks.
A security source at the Joint Task Force headquarters said information on the incident was sketchy but that some of its personnel stationed in Brass council area may have moved into the scene to inquire and confirm the incident.
Some youth aggrieved youths it would be recalled had threatened to return to the creek and launch campaign of sabotage against the nation oil industry in the wake of what they described as the continued refusal of the federal government to commence with the third phase of the amnesty programme.