allAfrica.com: Nigeria: Pipeline Fire – Shell Warns On Power Outage

Daily Champion (Lagos)
22 October 2007
Napoleon Ehiremen
Warri

SHELL Petroleum Development Company (SPDC), has declared that there may be imminent power outage in the country following the shutting down of its gas plant at Utorogun, Ughelli South local government area of Delta State due to pipeline fire allegedly by vandals.

SPDC raised this alarm at the weekend in Warri as another fire disaster was experienced at the Utorogun less than one week after a similar incident caused by a third party interference.
 
Last weekend’s fire outbreak would be the second in a week at Utorogun community, forcing the company to shut down operations at its major gas plant which contributes largely to power supply to the National Grid.

Investigations by Daily Champion showed that the Utorogun plant remains the main source of gas supply to the Egbin power plant in Lagos since the Odidi gas plant was vandalized by the Niger Delta militants about two years ago. Though the Odidi plant is currently undergoing repairs at the cost of over N 3billion, the Utorogun plant had been taking the pressure.

The head of media relations SPDC West, Mr. Aoiri Obaigbo, who announced yesterday that although the fire had been put off by the company’s fire fighting team, he said the plant with a production capacity of 300 million standard cubic feet of gas per day remains shut pending when major repairs would be carried out and Joint Investigation (JIV) concluded.

He said that the deferment of 300 million standard cubic feet of gas per day, posed a big threat to the power supply in the country, as Power Holding Company of Nigeria depends largely on this gas supplies to sustain its operations.

Mr. Obaigbo maintained that the Force Majeure declared last week on gas supplies from Otorogun gas plant remains in place, as the latest development has further compounded the problem at the plant.

He said the company had concluded arrangement to conduct the JIV to establish the cause of the latest fire outbreak and expressed hope of maximum cooperation from the indigenes of the community.

The last JIV conducted on the earlier fire incident clearly established sabotage by vandals who are suspected to be siphoning pipeline products in the area.

One of the suspects who sustained injury during the last explosion was later arrested while receiving treatment in a hospital.

http://allafrica.com/stories/200710221943.html

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