A gas pipeline operated by Nigerian Agip Oil Company (NAOC) has been vandalized and set ablaze again, barely one week after it was attacked by vandals, the News Agency of Nigeria has reported.
The breach of the pipeline cuts the oil firm’s gas export feed to the Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas gathering and processing plant.
NAN reported that the vandalized point, within Okaka and Azikoro in Yenagoa Local Government Area of Bayelsa State, was engulfed in flames on Wednesday.
Idris Musa, the director-general, National Oil Spills Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA), confirmed the incident to NAN on Thursday.
The spills response agency had on March 30 said that its investigations revealed a rising spate of sabotage-induced oil and gas leaks at oilfields in Bayelsa.
Mr. Musa said three sabotage incidents had occurred on oil and gas facilities in Bayelsa within one week. He advised operators to reinforce surveillance.
Mr. Musa said vandals blew up the gas pipeline and it went up in flames shortly after it was fixed a few days ago.
“The Nigerian Agip Oil Company is working actively to depressurize the pipeline in order to affect repairs on it,” he said.
Officials of NAOC declined comment on the incident, when contacted. The fire at the pipeline was yet to be put out by Thursday morning.
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