FPSO Vessel Blast Claims Three, Seven Missing …SEPCOL, NUPRC Launch OML 108 Probe

Three persons have been confirmed dead while seven others are missing after a Floating Production, Storage and Offloading (FPSO) vessel, Trinity Spirit, located at the Ukpokiti Terminal, Escravos, exploded Warri, Delta State.
The explosion said to have triggered raging fire and threatened fishing activities in some of Nigeria’s riverine communities in the Niger Delta area of the country.
Sources said a lurid explosion was heard around 1:00a.m. on Wednesday around Meren oil facility offshore Escravos.
“I can confirm to you that three seafarers died while other seven are still missing. Some traders around the seashore in Ugborodo rescued three persons, the fire was still burning as of 11:20a.m on Thursday,” the source said.
The source hinted that the explosion has allegedly caused serious fear among workers manning oil facilities close by, including fishermen around the area.
However, a statement by the management of the oil and gas company’s offshore facility, Shebah Exploration & Production Company Ltd (SEPCOL) confirmed the fire incident.
“The Management of SEPCOL in RECEIVERSHIP hereby announces the unfortunate incident of a fire that engulfed our offshore facility, the FPSO Trinity Spirit located at the Ukpokiti Terminal, following an explosion during the early hours of Wednesday, February 2, 2022”.
The statement, which was signed by the Chief Executive Officer of the company, Ikemefuna Okafor, added that there were 10 crewmembers on board at the time of the incident, although no fatality was reported at the time of the statement.
According to the statement, investigation into the cause of the explosion and fire is ongoing.
The statement said the cause of the explosion is currently being investigated, saying the management of the company is currently working with necessary parties to contain the situation.
“At this time there are no reported fatalities, but we can confirm that there were 10 crewmen onboard the vessel before the incident and we are prioritising investigations concerning their safety and security.
“We appreciate the assistance provided us by the Clean Nigeria Associates, the Chevron team operating in the nearby Escravos facility, and our community stakeholders as well as fishermen, who have been of tremendous assistance since the incident happened.
“We have duly notified all relevant authorities and we appeal to the members of the public to stay away from the area while our Crisis Management Team continue to monitor the situation and update all stakeholders with new information as the investigation evolves”, the statement added.
Similarly, the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) has said that its officials were investigating a major fire outbreak on an evacuation vessel at Ukpokiti Field (OML 108) in Delta State.
The commission in a statement by Paul Osu, yesterday, said the incident was reported by its operations team, last Wednesday.
“The commission in line with its statutory regulatory oversight of Upstream Petroleum operations in the Nigerian oil and gas industry has commenced investigations into the incident in conjunction with relevant stakeholders and will provide updates appropriately.
“There has been no report of any casualties or fatalities and the commission will take necessary measures to ensure that all safety and environmental measures in line with global best practices to safeguard lives and the environment are put in place”, the statement added.