Nigeria’s NNPC gives update on fire outbreak at oil facility in Rivers

The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, NNPC, has said the fire outbreak that started on a dry crude storage barge at Cawthorne Channel 1 in Rivers State has been successfully extinguished.

The spokesperson for NNPC, Olufemi Soneye, disclosed this in a statement on Thursday.

Recall that the BESTAF 5 barge caught fire around 2:00 p.m. on Wednesday, causing panic in the area.

However, NNPC confirmed that the incident did not affect operations at the flow station in the vicinity.

According to the state-owned oil firm, no lives were lost during the incident.

“Thanks to the swift response of our emergency teams and industry partners, the fire was successfully contained. The incident did not impact flow station operations,” Soneye said.

The NNPC spokesperson also assured the public of the company’s commitment to safety, environmental protection, and operational integrity.

“Most importantly, there were no casualties, and all personnel are safe. NNPC Ltd. prioritizes safety and remains fully committed to environmental protection and operational integrity,” Soneye stated.

Reports indicate that government authorities have commenced investigations to determine the cause of the incident.