FG extinguishes SEPCOL’s oil field fire, begins assessment operation
By Gloria Akudoro, Abuja
The Federal Government has swiftly intervened to recent fire incident at Ukpokiti Oil Field (OML 108) in Delta State, involving the Floating Production Storage and Offtake of Shebah Exploration and Production Company Limited (SEPCOL), noting that the inferno has been ‘totally’ extinguished.
The Minister of State for the Environment, Chief Sharon Ikeazor made the announcement in a statement signed by the Ministry’s Director of Press, Saghir El Mohammed which was made available to Nigerian NewsDirect yesterday.
She assured that the National Oil Spill Detection Response Agency (NOSDRA), which is a scheduled agency under her ministry, will conduct an overflight today (Sunday) and Monday to monitor the situation of crude spill in the sea.
The Minister also noted that the overflight operation will be sustained in the weeks ahead, until whatever remnants of oil in the FPSO is evacuated and measures evolved to forestall a recurrence of such kind of incident.
Recall that Ikeazor in a statement on Friday, assured that necessary efforts were being made to ensure the fire incident at Ukpokiti oil field is contained, after a fire engulfed a floating production, storage and offloading (FPSO) vessel named ‘Trinity Spirit’ in the early hours of Wednesday.
However, according to a recent report from Minister, the fire incident at Ukpokiti Oil Field was eventually contained on the evening of Thursday, February 3, 2022.
She made this known after receiving an update from the Director General of NOSDRA, saying a ‘joint investigation’ operation was conducted at the incident area on Saturday.
Ikeazor also said NOSDRA had an overflight on the incident area last Friday, to ascertain from the air what the surrounding conditions were, after extinguishing the fire.
According to the Environment Minister, a joint investigation visit to the incident area, as well as the FPSO, was undertaken on Saturday by NOSDRA, the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), the Ondo State Ministry of Environment, Representatives of Communities proximate to the Area and staff of Shebah Exploration and Production Company Limited.
“While the cause of the fire incident is yet to be fully determined, the environment around the FPSO is only slightly covered by sheen and emulsified oil,” the statement said.
It was earlier reported that the approximate quantity of oil in the FPSO in the recent past was said to be a little less than 200,000 barrels. One of the operators utilizing the services provided by the FPSO was said to have made an Offtake of approximate 120,000 barrels before the incident; leaving an estimated 50-60 000 barrels in the FPSO as at the time of the fire incident.
“NOSDRA will continue to give updates on this incident after each aerial surveillance scheduled for today and Monday,” Ikeazor assured.
