Nigeria: Three Dead Bodies Recovered From Exploded Oil Vessel, Four Still Missing

Three of the crew onboard the Floating Production Storage Android Offloading (FPSO) facility, belonging to Shebah Exploration & Production Company Limited (SEPCOL) which exploded in Warri, Delta State, have been confirmed dead.

The report says three have been found alive while four crew members were still unaccounted for as of Monday, February 7, 2022.

The company had earlier indicated that one unidentified body had been noticed floating around the vessel, Trinity Spirit, located at the Ukpokiti field (OML 108).

The asset, before it exploded, could process up to 22,000 barrels of oil per day, inject up to 40,000 barrels of water per day and store two million barrels of oil.

“The management of Shebah Exploration & Production Company Ltd (SEPCOL) in receivership, announces further developments on the ongoing investigations into the unfortunate explosion and fire that engulfed the FPSO Trinity Spirit at the Ukpokiti Terminal in the early hours of Wednesday, 2nd of February 2022.

“Per our previous statement, the fire burnt out completely as of Thursday afternoon, 3rd of February 2022, thus, enabling closer inspection of the vessel. Working with the relevant authorities, stakeholders, and expert organisations, a Joint Investigation Visit (JIV) took place on Saturday, 5th February 2022.

“We also reported that on Sunday morning, 6th February 2022, NIMASA (Nigerian Maritime Administration & Safety Agency) notified us of a dead body found floating in the vicinity of the FPSO.

“We can confirm today that two further dead bodies were discovered on the deck of the vessel in the afternoon of the same Sunday,” the Chief Executive Officer of SEPCOL, Ikemefuna Okafor stated.

The company noted that it had made incident reports to the police and relevant authorities to assist in the ongoing investigation, stressing that efforts to establish the identities of the dead bodies were underway.

“Our thoughts and prayers are with the families of all the victims of this unfortunate incident, and we are on hand to provide support to them as required.

“Thus far, the potential total number of the crew members accounted for is six, including the three persons who were found alive last week. Our priority remains focused towards establishing the whereabouts, safety and security of the four crew members still missing,” the company stressed.

According to the statement, all efforts are now geared towards cleaning up the area to minimise any damage to the environment and in addition to ascertaining the exact cause of the explosion.

SEPCOL also commended all the government agencies and the communities, particularly the fishermen, who, it said helped with the initial rescue.

“Our crisis management team will continue to monitor developments in the investigations and update all stakeholders with new information accordingly.

“We appeal to members of the public to keep away from the area and contact the company with any information that may assist our investigations,” SEPCOL noted.

Source: https://energynewsafrica.com