Soku Community debunk Reports of Gas Pipeline Explosion

Residents of Soku community in Rivers State have dismissed circulating social media reports claiming an explosion occurred along the Soku-Abua-Rumuji Right of Way gas pipelines.

The Soku oil and gas field, a vital asset under Oil Mining Licence (OML) 23, is co-owned by Eni, the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), Shell, and TotalEnergies.

In a statement issued on Sunday in Port Harcourt, Witness Alasia, Secretary of the Soku Community Development Committee, described the reports as false, misleading, and unfounded. He clarified that while a fire outbreak did occur on a section of the pipeline, it was not an explosion and did not pose any major threat.

Alasia explained that the affected pipeline belongs to the Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG) and is used to transport gas from the Soku Gas Plant to NLNG’s liquefaction facility on Bonny Island, Rivers State. He assured the public that the Soku Gas Plant remains operational and in perfect working condition.

“On behalf of the leadership of Soku Kingdom, I categorically debunk the falsehood being spread on social media about an explosion at the Soku Gas Plant. It is disheartening that people are deliberately misleading the public with unverified claims,” Alasia stated.

He urged the public to disregard the misinformation, noting that the cause of the fire outbreak remains unknown, and the company responsible for the pipeline has yet to release an official statement.

Meanwhile, Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) has also refuted reports of an explosion at the Soku Gas Plant. SPDC spokesman, Michael Adande, confirmed that there was no incident at the facility, adding that Shell’s Soku assets have been divested to Renaissance Africa Energy Company Limited.

“Everything is fine at Soku Gas Plant. The facility is not affected by any incident. It’s important to note that SPDC’s assets have been officially acquired by Renaissance Africa Energy Company Limited,” Adande stated.

He further clarified that while there are multiple facilities within the Soku Field, any reports of incidents should be verified with the relevant asset owners.