At least three of the ten crew members of the oil platform ship that exploded last day 2 off the coast of Nigeria They have died and the rescue team has recovered their bodies, the Shebah Exploration and Production Company (SEPCOL), manager of the facility, reported today.
“We have submitted reports of the incident to the Police and relevant authorities to assist in the ongoing investigation, and the identities of the bodies are being established,” SEPCOL CEO Ikemefuna Okafor said in a statement.
“Our priority remains to establish the whereabouts, safety and security of the four crew members who are still missing”, added Okafor, who yesterday, Sunday reported that three crew members had been found alive.
The platform, which has the capacity to store two million barrels of crude oilexploded early last Wednesday leaving at least ten missing, as confirmed by the Nigerian company on the 3rd.
The explosion caused a fire in this platform ship, called Trinity Spirit, which was located at the Ukpokiti oil terminal in the Niger Delta.
According to the information provided on the SEPCOL website, the Trinity Spirit is an FPSO (Floating Production, Storage and Offloading) type vessel, with a processing capacity of 22,000 barrels per day.
FPSOs are gigantic platform ships essential for exploiting oil in deep waterswhich can be connected to underwater wells and temporarily store their production until it is transferred to freighters.
SEPCOL is currently under receivership, a court-appointed tool to help companies in crisis to avoid bankruptcy.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with the families of all the victims of this unfortunate incident.and we are available to provide them with the necessary support”, said the CEO of this company.
The oil sector in Nigeria – the largest producer of crude oil in Africa – has been the target of harsh criticism from local communities, who denounce great environmental damage caused by its activities for years, especially in the south of the country. (I)
Source: Eluniverso
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