(video): 10 crewmen missing in FPSO Trinity Spirit explosion

Sopuruchi Onwuka

Shebah Exploration and Production Company Limited (SEPCOL) has declared intense efforts at accounting for 10 crewmen who were aboard operated production vessel which exploded in fire and burnt down Wednesday morning.

Chief Executive Officer, Ikemefuna Okafor, stated that the FPSO Trinity Spirit was located at operated Ukpokiti Teminal, when the explosion occurred in the early hours of Wednesday.

He said there were no confirmed casualties neither were the crew men accounted for.

The level of activity at the Ukpokiti field was not clear at the time of the incident and the implication on production is uncertain.

SEPCOL is founded by indigenous industry investor and eminent surgeon, Dr ABC Orjiakor. And along with Platform Petroleum Limited established by eminent geologist, Mr Austin Avuru, SEPCOL is a parent company to international independent energy firm, Seplat Energy Plc.

The Management of SEPCOL said the facility is currently in receivership, making ownership of the company a little complicated; and also raising issues about the professional handling of its operations.

The Oracle Today had earlier reported that the incident might have impacted Nigeria’s petroleum output, but personnel of other companies in the contiguous Escravos area said the FPSO Trinity Spirit was not in good shape before the incident happened.

The 50 year old production vessel was not deployed in the Meren field as stated in our earlier report and had nothing to relate with the operations of Chevron Nigeria Limited.

Group spokesman of Chevron in Nigeria, Mr Esimaje Brikkin, could not be reached at the time of the incident but a source close to the company confirmed the incident but said the vessel was neither operated by Chevron nor in the service of the company.

He said the FPSO belonged to a third party whose facilities, he said, had laid dormant for quite a while before the incident happened.

“That vessel had been there at the Meren area all the while doing barely anything. I am not sure who operates it but I can assure you it was not operated by Chevron neither was it working for Chevron,” our source stated.

Witnesses said the blowout was announced by a huge explosion which boomed off just after midnight and set the vessel ablaze. Fears of casualty are high following the time of the incident and lack of visible response to the incident as the day worn out.   

Stories emerging from the Esccravos area over the incident continue have unsettled the local people who fear that some of the operations personnel on the production vessel at the time of the incident might be indigenous.

Mr Ikemefuna Okafor stated that “the cause of the explosion is currently being investigated and we are working with necessary parties to contain the situation.”

“At this time there are no reported fatalities, but we can confirm that there were ten crew men on board the vessel prior to the incident and we are prioritizing investigations with respect to their safety and security,” he said.

He clarified that emergency response teams from local communities, fishermen, Chevron Nigeria Limited and Clean Nigeria Associates were helping with rescue efforts.

“We appreciate the assistance provided us by the Clean Nigeria Associates, the Chevron team operating in the nearby Escravos facility and our community stakeholders as well as fishermen, who have been of tremendous assistance since the incident happened.

“We have duly notified all relevant authorities and we appeal to the members of the public to stay away from the area while our Crisis Management Team continues to monitor the situation and update all stakeholders with new information as the investigation evolves,” he stated.