…No force majeure declared
Sam Ikeotuonye & OpeOluwani Akintayo
Lagos — Shell Nigeria has shut down the 240,000 barrels per day Trans Forcados pipeline over a fire incident which broke out on Sunday.
The pipeline remains close as at the time of filing this report.
Shell manages the crude export pipeline, while Heritage Energy Operational Services Limited operates the pipeline.
Despite the fire, Shell did not declare a force majeure on crude exports from the pipeline.
The fire, which started due to leaks from the aging pipeline, is still on as at Tuesday, SweetcrudeReports gathered.
The fire occurred at a spill site along the pipeline in the Chanomi Creeks in Yeye community of Burutu Local Government Area of Delta State.
Mr. Sylvester Okoh, General Manager Community Relations, Heritage Energy Operational Services Limited, operator of the crude pipeline, confirmed the incident.
“At about 11:00 pm on May 19, 2019, a fire incident was reported at the crude oil spill site along the Trans Forcados pipeline around Yeye community.
“It was gathered that the fire occurred due to excessive heat from a pumping machine which was being used to transfer crude oil from the spill site into a barge.
“The fire was reported to have destroyed some equipment at the scene.
“The houseboat and gunboats were safely relocated from the scene of the fire incident,” Okoh told the News Agency of Nigeria.
Meanwhile, Mr. Evans Etimigba of the Chartered Peace Reconciliator in the Niger Delta, has expressed fear that the fire might probably spread to other parts of the community if not put out.
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Etimigba called for quick intervention of the relevant government agencies to curtail the inferno.