An explosion followed by a huge fire has affected an oil tanker, owned by the Nigerian company Shebah Exploration and Production Co. (SEPCOL), off Escravos, Warri in Delta state, Daybreak reports.
The explosion occurred yesterday aboard the Trinity Spirit, a production, storage and offloading vessel with the capacity to process up to 22,000 barrels of oil per day.
According to sources on ground, Trinity Spirit’s crude storage capacity is around 2 million barrels.
Following the explosion an investigation has been opened to establish the causes of the explosion, while there are ongoing efforts to contain the situation with the help of local communities and the Chevron oil company, which has a nearby facility.
“At this time no deaths are reported, but we can confirm that there were ten crew members on board the ship before the incident, and we are prioritizing investigations regarding their safety,” said SEPCOL Executive Director Ikemefuna Okafor.
