Agip's Ogboinbiri/OB-OB gas pipeline
Vandals set fire to Agip’s Ogboinbiri/OB-OB gas pipeline in Bayelsa
[From CHRIS EZE, Yenagoa]
Suspected vandals have attacked the 24-inch Ogboinbiri/OB-OB Agip’s gas pipeline in Bayelsa State, setting it on fire.
The attack which was the second barely one week after it was first attacked by vandals has disrupted the firm’s gas export schedule from oilfields in Bayelsa.
Oracle Today learnt that the vandalised point located within Okaka and Azikoro in Yenagoa Local Government Area has been engulfed by fire since Wednesday.
Director-General/Chief Executive Officer, National Oil Spills Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA), Mr Idris Musa, confirmed the incident on Thursday.
Recall that the agency had on March 30 said that its investigations revealed a rising spate of sabotage-induced oil and gas leaks at oilfields in Bayelsa.
He had raised the alarm that three sabotage incidents occurred on oil and gas facilities in Bayelsa within one week and advised operators to reinforce their surveillance.
The NOSDRA boss explained that shortly after fixing the gas pipeline a few days ago, vandals blew up the pipeline and it went up in flames.
He said: “There was a gas leak last week from a vandalized gas pipeline OB-OB/Ogboinbiri pipeline at Okaka in Bayelsa State.
“The pipeline was repaired but unfortunately revandalized again thus resulting in fire.
“The Nigerian Agip Oil Company is working actively to depressurize the pipeline in order to effect repairs on the pipeline”.
Officials of NAOC declined to comment on the incident and negligence of the regulator’s advice to intensify surveillance on the asset when contacted for response.
The fire at the incident site, which had forced surrounding vegetation to wither is yet to be put out as of Thursday afternoon.
