FPSO explosion; another two bodies recovered

February 07, (THEWILL) – The Management of Shebah Exploration & Production Company Ltd (SEPCOL) has announced the recovery of two more dead bodies on the ongoing investigations into the explosion and fire that engulfed the Floating Production Storage and Offloading (FPSO) Trinity Spirit at the Ukpokiti Terminal on Wednesday.

SEPCOL gave the update in a statement signed by its Chief Executive Officer, Ikemefuna Okafor, and made available to newsmen on Monday.

The management had in a statement at the weekend said the fire was finally contained on Thursday afternoon, thereby enabling closer inspection of the vessel.

Also, the management on Sunday said that three persons had been rescued while one dead body was recovered.

But in a statement on Monday, the management said, “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 under way.

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“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 towards 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.

“We thank the following organisations who have been of tremendous assistance since the unfortunate incident happened; Clean Nigeria Associates, Chevron, National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA), Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC), NIMASA, and the communities, particularly the fishermen who helped with the initial rescue.

“Our Crisis Management Team will continue to monitor developments in the investigations and update all stakeholders with new information accordingly.

“We appeal to members of the public to keep away from the area and contact the company with any information that may assist our investigations.”