Yemisi Izuora
Unidentified persons on Monday attacked oil facilities operated by Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) and Nigeria Agip Oil Company (NAOC) at Ikarama community, Yenagoa Local Government Area of Bayelsa.
Mr Ben Warder, a youth leader in Ikarama near the incident site said.
“The site is not far from Ikarama, we heard sounds from the blast and it sounded like dynamites and it was not safe to go near.
“So, when the situation became quiet we had to trace what happened and it turned out that Shell’s gas pipeline and Agip’s crude lines were destroyed.
“The incident resulted to air pollution from the gas pipeline and crude leak which members of the affected communities are battling to cope with,” Warder said.
Confirming the incident on Tuesday, Mr Michael Adande, an SPDC Spokesman said that the oil firm had received reports of the incident and shut down the facility to curtail impact.
“We have report of interference on our pipeline about 1 kilometre from Ikarama Community in Bayelsa State.
“We immediately shut-in the line and we have informed the relevant regulatory government agencies and stakeholders.
“A government-led joint investigation team will determine the cause of the interference,” Adande said.
The breach was reported on Monday on the pipeline, which carries gas to the SPDC-operated Gbaran gas plant, an SPDC spokesman said.
“We immediately shut in the line and we have informed the relevant government agencies and stakeholders,” SPDC said in a statement. A government-led investigation will determine the cause of the breach, it said.
The local subsidiary of Eni is a joint-venture partner on the line, but did not immediately comment.