Operations have resumed at the Trans Niger Pipeline after it was confirmed that no explosions occurred following a fire incident. The pipeline successfully passed integrity tests, and unauthorized access was identified. The situation prompted emergency declarations, and police are investigating the cause of the fire.
Operations at the Trans Niger Pipeline (TNP) in Bodo Community, Rivers State, have resumed following a fire incident on Monday night. Renaissance Africa Energy Holdings confirmed that integrity tests were conducted on the pipeline, which successfully passed, indicating that there was no blast. The company clarified that unauthorized entry had occurred at the site, but no explosions or blasts were recorded.
A spokesperson stated, “The pipeline is back in operation. First of all, we had no blasts or explosions in our facilities. We had an unauthorized entry from the operations.” A team that inspected the site after receiving a call observed evidence of excavation attempts and arson. Fortunately, the fire had extinguished by the time the team arrived. They conducted safety checks on an adjacent pipeline, which also passed the integrity test, allowing operations to continue using this route.
The TNP is a critical infrastructure that transports 450,000 barrels of crude oil daily to the Bonny Export Terminal. This incident followed Renaissance Africa Energy Holdings’ recent acquisition of Shell’s entire equity stake in the Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria.
The incident was significant enough to prompt President Bola Tinubu’s declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers State. In response to the fire, the Rivers State Police Public Relations Officer, Grace Iringe-Koko, confirmed that security patrols had identified the fire, leading to immediate notification of Renaissance and the shut down of the affected sections of the pipeline.
Iringe-Koko reassured that there were no further risks posed to the local community or the environment. She also disclosed that two individuals had been arrested for questioning as part of an ongoing investigation into the cause of the fire.
Following the fire incident at the Trans Niger Pipeline, operations have resumed without significant damage reported. Integrity tests confirmed the pipeline’s safety after unauthorized access was detected. The incident led to state emergency proceedings and arrests related to the cause of the fire, with assurances given regarding the community’s safety.
Original Source: punchng.com
