By John Ikani
Five days after a Floating Production Storage and Offloading (FPSO) facility – Trinity Spirit belonging to Shebah Exploration and Production Company Limited (SEPCOL) exploded in Warri, Delta State, the company on Monday announced that two more dead bodies have been recovered.
Recall that a statement issued hours after the explosion confirmed that there were 10 crew members, but that everything was being done to ensure their safety and security.
With the latest announcement made by Chief Executive Officer of SEPCOL, Ikemefuna Okafor, the total number of the crew members accounted for is six, including the three persons who were found alive last week.
What SEPCOL is saying
The statement read, “Working with the relevant authorities, stakeholders, and expert organisations, a Joint Investigation Visit (JIV) took place on Saturday, 5th February 2022.
“We also reported that on Sunday morning, 6th February 2022, Nigerian Maritime Administration & Safety Agency, (NIMASA) notified us of a dead body found floating in the vicinity of the FPSO. We can confirm today that two further dead bodies were discovered on the deck of the vessel in the afternoon of the same Sunday.
“We have made incident reports to the police and relevant authorities to assist the ongoing investigation, and due process to establish the identities of the dead bodies is underway.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with the families of all the victims of this unfortunate incident, and we are on hand to provide support to them as required.
“Thus far, the potential total number of the crew members accounted for is six, including the three persons who were found alive last week.
“Our priority remains focused on establishing the whereabouts, safety, and security of the four crew members still missing.
“Furthermore, our efforts are geared towards cleaning up the area to minimise any damage to the environment and seeking to ascertain the exact cause of the explosion.
50,000 Barrels Of Oil Spilled
Meanwhile, Reuters quoted the Minister of State, Environment, Sharon Ikeazor, as saying at the weekend that the oil storage vessel was holding around 50,000 to 60,000 barrels of crude oil at the time of the incident.
Ikeazor said the National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA) had called the oil industry operators and the Clean Nigeria Associates, a cooperative responding to oil spill incidents, for support.
The call became necessary after NOSDRA classified the latest Shebah Exploration and Production Company Limited, SEPCOL, oil spill under a tier 2.
A tier 2 oil spill is an incident beyond the capacity of a single company to handle and requires the involvement of Clean Nigeria Associates, CNA, a non-profit organisation and several oil-producing companies.
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