Explosion ROCKS Another Oil Facility In Rivers State

Less than 14 hours after an explosion occurred at Trans-Niger Pipeline in Bodo, Gokana Local Government Atrea, a second major pipeline explosion has rocked the Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni Local Government Area (ONELGA) of Rivers State.

It was gathered that the latest explosion struck a manifold connecting a federal pipeline in the Okwawriwa area on Tuesday morning, thereby sending massive flames into the sky and raising fresh concerns about the safety of oil facilities in Rivers State and the Niger Delta region.

Forefront News gathered that the explosion occurred at a key oil transportation facility, which conveys petroleum products from Seplat, Agip, and Shell.

The affected facility serves ONELGA and parts of Imo State, transporting crude oil to Brass in Bayelsa State.

The remote location of the manifold reportedly prevented immediate casualties, but the fire caused significant environmental damage.

It was further gathered that the explosion happened less than 16 hours after the Trans-Niger Pipeline being operated by Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC), suffered a similar fate in Bodo, Gokana LGA.

The Trans-Niger Pipeline transports crude oil to the Bonny Terminal is a key export point for Nigeria’s oil industry.

Authorities have already launched an investigation into that incident, with two suspects arrested by the Rivers State Police Command which has also vowed to uncover the root cause of the explosions.

For now, the exact causes of the two explosions remained unknown at the time of this report as concerns have mounted over potential sabotage.

The frequency and timing of the blasts have raised suspicions among industry experts and local stakeholders, prompting calls for a thorough investigation.