*Intense flare at the old Port Harcourt Refinery on Wednesday
Mkpoikana Udoma
Port Harcourt — A massive flare at the old plant of the Port Harcourt Refinery on Wednesday triggered fear among workers and residents, as emergency fire operatives battled to control the intensity of the flames.
Eyewitnesses reported seeing firefighters spraying water and coolant on the flare towers to prevent the fire from spreading to adjoining facilities.
A refinery worker, who spoke on condition of anonymity, attributed the excessive flare to operational challenges.
“The plant has not produced for over two days due to a lack of crude oil supply. Crude just arrived, but instead of waiting the standard 72 hours to drain water from it before processing, they fed it directly into the system. This led to excessive liquid, which intensified the flare.
“It’s a normal production procedure, but the amount of liquid in the system determines the intensity of the flare. Fire operatives were on the ground to contain it, but for anyone passing by, it looked alarming.”
Checks by our correspondent revealed that the incident occured at about 11:30am on Wednesday during production, as residents of Port Harcourt feared the refinery may have been attacked following the recent multiple explosions on oil facilities in the state.
Following widespread concerns, the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, NNPC Ltd, has issued a statement refuting reports of an explosion at the refinery, insisting that the incident was a routine flare event.
The statement signed by Olufemi O. Soneye, Chief Corporate Communications Officer of NNPC Ltd. urged the public to disregard reports of an explosion, assuring that operations at the refinery remained stable.
“There was no explosion at the Port Harcourt Refining Company. What occurred was a flare incident, which has since been fully contained. There is no danger or health hazard to staff, the surrounding communities, or the environment,” the statement said.
