Host Community Debunks Reported Explosion At NLNG Pipeline In Rivers

The people of Soku community in Rivers State have debunked reports on social media suggesting an explosion on gas pipelines along the Soku-Abua-Rumuji Right of Way.

The Soku oil and gas field, which is a critical component of Oil Mining Licence (OML) 23, is jointly owned by Eni, the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPCL), Shell and TotalEnergies.

Secretary of the Soku Community Development Committee, Witness Alasia, in a statement issued in Port Harcourt on Sunday, described the reports as “disheartening and worrisome, untrue and not factual.”

Alasia, however, clarified that there was a fire outbreak on the pipeline, which does not call for alarm, adding that the pipeline belonged to the NLNG and supplies gas from the Soku Gas Plant to NLNG’s gas liquefaction plant in Bonny Island, Rivers State.

He said: “On behalf of the Leadership of Soku Kingdom, I write to debunk the falsehood escalating in all social media that there was an explosion in the Soku Gas Plant.

“It is disheartening and worrisome that people will mischievously be misinforming the public with a baseless and untrue story.

“Soku Gas Plant is safe and in a perfect working condition. The public should disregard this unguided and untrue report.

“The cause of the fire outbreak is unknown and the company also has not come up with any useful information. We use this medium to inform the public that Soku and her satellite communities are safe and calm.”

Meanwhile, the Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) has also debunked news reports that there was an explosion at Soku Gas Plant.

SPDC’s spokesman, Michael Adande, said there was no incident at Soku Gas Plant, adding that Shell’s assets have been divested to Renaissance Africa Energy Company Limited.

Adande said: “All good at Soku Gas Plant. Soku Gas Plant is not affected by any incident. Hope you know that SPDC assets have been officially acquired by Renaissance Africa Energy Company Limited. We have been in the news about this.”

He noted that there were other facilities in the Soku Field and if there were any incidents, their owners should be contacted.

The spokesman said: “If there was an incident on other assets in Soku, please, contact the asset owner/operator.”