Oil exploration company, Aiteo has released a statement to clarify the March 2 explosion which occurred in the Niger Delta, within the vicinity of Nembe Creek Well 7, behind Mile 1 Community in Bayelsa State, Nigeria.
The statement read “Despite initial challenges, our operations team were able to access the well head area when the fire had completely died down on early hours of 2nd March.”
“Preliminary investigations confirm that there were no fatalities; human incidents or damage to community property. All the wells and facilities in the immediate vicinity have been inspected and secured. This incident did not occur at or involve any part of the 97 kilometre pipeline, Nembe Creek Trunk Line (NCTL) or other pipelines. It is important to note that prior to this incident, all facilities have been shut down since 28 of February 2019 due to NCTL outage. Accordingly, any account suggesting that this incident arose from or affected any pipelines is wholly inaccurate and misleading.”
“Full investigations to determine the cause of the fire and, in particular, to determine whether this may have been caused by third-party infractions, remain ongoing. These investigations are being pursed with the utmost urgency and are have been given the highest priority. ”
The company gave the assurance that it is working with all the relevant authorities to restore full functionality to all the relevant installations and affected areas.
It added, “In the time being, we express our gratitude to all our stakeholders for your continuing support and understanding whilst urging calm and vigilance.”
“As becomes necessary, we shall continue to share information on these developments in due course.”