An explosion has rocked a section of the Trans Niger Pipeline (TNP) in Bodo Community, Gokana Local Government Area of Rivers State. The blast, which occurred late Monday night, sent thick black smoke into the sky and ignited a massive fire that spread through the surrounding mangrove areas.
The TNP is a major pipeline that transports about 150,000 barrels of crude oil daily to the Bonny Export Terminal. The explosion happened near the Bodo-Bonny Road, which is currently under construction by Julius Berger Nigeria Plc in partnership with Nigeria LNG Limited and the Federal Government.
Company Responds to Explosion
Renaissance Africa Energy Holdings, the new owner of the Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria (SPDC), confirmed that it is responding to the incident. A spokesperson for the company, who requested anonymity, said investigations are ongoing.
“We don’t know if it is an explosion or not, but we are responding to the report of an incident in our operation. Our response is a regulator-led joint investigation team. We are not going to speculate,” the spokesperson said.
Videos circulating on social media Tuesday morning showed heavy black smoke billowing into the atmosphere as flames consumed parts of the mangrove forest. Residents of Bodo Community expressed concern over the environmental impact and possible disruption to oil transportation.
Also Read:
- Tinubu Awards N1.1 Trillion Lagos Port Project to Gilbert Chagoury
- NBA Rejects Rivers Assembly’s Probe of Chief Judge
Possible Cause Unknown
As of Tuesday morning, the cause of the explosion remained unclear. Authorities have not confirmed whether it was due to technical failure, vandalism, or an attack on the pipeline. Security agencies and regulatory bodies are expected to conduct an official investigation.
Renaissance Africa Energy Holdings is a consortium of four Nigerian oil and gas companies—ND Western Limited, Aradel Holdings Plc, FIRST Exploration and Petroleum Development Company Limited, and Waltersmith Group—alongside international energy company Petrolin. The group recently finalized a deal to acquire SPDC’s entire equity in Nigeria.
The explosion is likely to raise concerns about the safety of oil infrastructure in the Niger Delta, an area historically plagued by pipeline vandalism and environmental challenges.