By Steve Agbota
Shebah Exploration and Production Company (SEPCOL), owners of the FPSO Trinity Spirit located at the Ukpokiti Terminal, has insisted that no fatality has been recorded in a fire incident that engulfed its oil and gas company’s offshore facility in the Niger Delta on Wednesday morning.
The company confirmed this in a statement issued and signed by its Chief Executive Office, Ikemefuna Okafor on Saturday, saying the fire burnt out completely on Thursday afternoon, February 3 and it has enabled closer inspection of the vessel.
The statement reads in part: “The Management of SEPCOL in RECEIVERSHIP, hereby provide an update on the explosion and subsequent fire that engulfed the FPSO Trinity Spirit located at the Ukpokiti Terminal, in the early hours of Wednesday, 2nd of February 2022.
‘We have been working with the relevant authorities and stakeholders to contain the situation and an investigation has been launched to establish the cause of the explosion.
‘We can confirm that the fire burnt out completely as of Thursday afternoon, February 3, 2022, and this has enabled closer inspection of the vessel. With this development, a Joint Investigation Visit (JIV) has been scheduled for Saturday, February 5, 2022, with the relevant authorities, stakeholders, and expert organisations.’
The company in the statement said currently, there are still no reported fatalities, and the company continue prioritising investigations with respect to establishing the whereabouts, safety, and security of the ten crew members who were onboard the vessel prior to the incident.
‘We appreciate the assistance provided by the Clean Nigeria Associates, the Chevron team, NOSDRA, NUPRC, SPDC and people in the community, particularly the fishermen, who have been of immense assistance since the incident occurred.
‘Members of the public should continue to keep away from the area while our Crisis Management Team monitors developments in the investigations and update all stakeholders with new information accordingly,’ the statement added.