Nigeria pipeline fire rages on
2004-05-24 15:13
Lagos - A fire on a Nigerian oil pipeline killed at least one person, the Anglo-Dutch oil giant Shell said on Monday, as the firm continued a battle to put out an earlier blaze which has been raging for eight days.
A Shell statement said a fresh fire broke out on Friday on the Oguta to Egbema delivery line in southern Nigeria's Imo State.
"The fire was burning in a dug pit around the pipeline some 200m away from the main road. A burnt male corpse and a tanker without a registration number were found at the scene," it said.
Fires often erupt in Nigeria when thieves illegally tap pipelines in order to siphon off crude oil or refined fuels.
On May 16, Shell reported an explosion at a disused oil well at Afam in Rivers State. State police said 15 people were killed in the explosion and 13 injured.
"Our team of experts are working to put out the fire. Hopefully, this week, the fire will be extinguished," a Shell official said on Monday.
Oil industry officials say pirates and smugglers steal 150 000 barrels of crude oil per day from the pipelines which criss-cross the remote swamps of the Niger Delta, selling it on to unscrupulous foreign refineries.
The constant spills caused by the thefts contribute to the serious pollution in the region, and the profits from crude smuggling have helped to arm the gangs with military-style weapons and speed boats.