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Explosions rock Shell, Agip gas pipelines

Explosion was reported on Monday to have rocked a gas pipeline operated by Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) and Nigerian Agip Oil Company (NAOC) at Ikarama community, Yenagoa Local Government Area of Bayelsa, Southsouth Nigeria.

The Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria Limited (SPDC), Bamidele Odugbesan, who confirmed the explosion, stated that the pipeline has been shut-in while a government-led joint probe will determine the cause and impact of the incident.

“We have a report of an interference with our gas pipeline about 1 kilometre from Ikarama Community in Bayelsa State. We have since shut-in the line and informed the relevant government agencies.

“A government-led joint investigation team will determine the cause and impact,” he told Platforms Africa.

A youth leader in Ikarama near the incident site, Mr. Ben Warder, however, auggested that the pipeline was attacked. The esidents heard several sounds from the explosions that rocked the oil fields on Monday

“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 told NAN.

Confirming the incident on Tuesday, Mr Michael Adande, an SPDC Spokesman told NAN 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.

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