The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) has dismissed reports of an explosion at the Port Harcourt Refining Company (PHRC), calling them misleading. In a statement, NNPC’s Chief Corporate Communications Officer, Olufemi Soneye, clarified that the incident was a flare event, which was quickly brought under control. He assured the public that there was no threat to staff, nearby communities, or the environment.
However, hours later, another explosion was reported at an oil facility in Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni Local Government Area (ONELGA) of Rivers State. According to local sources, a massive fire broke out early Tuesday morning at a manifold connecting federal pipelines. The facility, which transports crude oil from Seplat, Agip, and Shell, went up in flames, though it is located far from residential areas.
This incident follows another fire less than 12 hours earlier on the Trans-Niger Pipeline operated by Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC). The back-to-back fire outbreaks have raised fresh concerns about pipeline safety and oil infrastructure security in the region.