OGBOINBIRI/OB-OB GAS LEAK: NOSDRA Alleges Sabotage . . . Advises Operators to Reinforce Surveillance
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by Our Correspondent
The National Oil Spills Detection and Response Agency(NOSDRA) has described the Ogboinbiri/OB-OB gas pipeline leak as a breach of the facility.
The Director-General of NOSDRA, Idris Musa, said the breach of the facility occurred on Wednesday and resulted in a fire around the Okaka and Azikoro communities in the Yenagoa Local Government Area of the state.
The NOSDRA Boss, who on Thursday, April 7th confirmed to newsmen another alleged attack on the Ogboinbiri/OB-OB gas pipeline operated by the Nigerian Agip Oil Company, added that vandalism had disrupted the oil firm’s gas export feed to the Nigeria Liquefied Gas gathering and processing plant as the attack took place barely one week after the gas pipeline was vandalized on March 29.
The agency claimed its investigation revealed a rising spate of sabotage-induced oil and gas leaks at oilfields in Bayelsa.
NOSDRA hinted that three sabotage-related incidents had occurred on oil and gas facilities in the state within one week and advised operators to reinforce surveillance.
Musa explained that a few days after the ruptured point on the gas pipeline was clamped, vandals blew up the facility and it went up in flames.
His words; “There was a gas leak last week from a vandalised OB-OB/Ogboinbiri gas pipeline at Okaka in Bayelsa State.
“The pipeline was repaired but unfortunately re-vandalized, resulting in a fire. The NAOC is working actively to depressurise the pipeline in order to begin repairs of the pipeline.”
The fire incident, which has impacted the environment, had not been put out as of the time of filing this report.
Attempts to get the official position of the affected oil company on the incident has not yielded any positive results as at the time of going to Press.
