TNP reopens after crude theft fire
Oct 16, 2013
The Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria Ltd (SPDC) today (October 16) reopened the 28-inch line of the Trans Niger Pipeline (TNP) today (October 16) after repairs have been completed following the earlier reported fire at Patrick Waterside in Bodo, which a joint investigation team has confirmed was due to a hacksaw cut by unknown persons.
The 28-inch line was shut in on October 14. The 24-inch line which was shut in on October 9 following leaks at B-Dere and Nonwa-Tai, remains closed.
While investigations showed that unknown persons had drilled a hole on the 24-inch TNP at B-Dere, the joint investigation on the Nonwa-Tai spill is continuing and expected to be concluded soon. However, preliminary findings indicate that the spill may have been caused by a failure on the pipeline. SPDC had quickly mobilised its oil spill response team to the site and contained the spread of spilled oil. Further remedial measures, clean-up and repairs are continuing. SPDC regrets this operational spill and is investigating the root cause of the failure.
SPDC will continue to monitor the situation and the force majeure that was declared on Bonny Light exports on October 9 will be lifted as soon as it is operationally possible to do so.