The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) has confirmed a minor fire outbreak occurred at its refinery in Warri, Delta State.
The company, in a statement on Friday, said the outbreak was due to ongoing welding activity at the top of the cooling tower.
The company said, “This afternoon, at about 15:02hrs, there was a minor fire incident at the cooling tower of Warri Refinery and Petrochemical Company Limited (WRPC).
“The fire which occurred as a result of ongoing welding activity at the top of the cooling tower will not affect the refinery rehabilitation project delivery schedule.
“NNPC Limited safety officers at the refinery acted immediately and put out the fire at about 15:30hrs; normalcy has since been restored.”
NNPC added that it will continue to adhere to the best safety standards in all its business operations.
In another development, an oil producing community in Warri North Local Government Area of Delta State, Aja-Omaetan, has threatened to go to court over its exclusion from Host Community Development Trust Fund, HCDTF, initiated by Chevron Nigeria Limited, CNL.
The community, in a pre-action notice that was signed by its team of lawyers led by Prof. Yemi Akinseye-Geoege, SAN, equally sought the intervention of authorities of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority, NMDPRA, and the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission, NUPRC, in the matter.
It alleged that its exclusion from the list of beneficiaries of the proposed trust fund, was not unconnected to past disputes it had over oil spillages.
Aja-Omaetan community argued that NMDPRA and NUPRC, as regulators, have the duty to ensure that operators in the oil industry comply with provisions of the Petroleum Industry Act, PIA, saying it would not hesitate to approach the court, should both agencies fail to intervene in the matter.
One of the protest letters the community forwarded to heads of the agencies through their legal team, read: “Our client is one of the communities accommodating the Crude Oil and Gas Pipelines of Chevron Nigeria Limited in Dibi field, Warri North Local Government Area of Delta State and has been host to Chevron Nigeria Limited facilities for years without any benefits from Chevron Nigeria Limited.
“On the 14th day of July, 2011 our client obtained a judgment from the Delta State High Court in Suit No: W/105/2010 (copy herewith attached) against the Governor of Delta State, Delta State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission (DESOPADEC) and one other, wherein the status of Aja-Omaetan Community as an oil producing community was firmly established beyond any equivocation.
“The Delta State Government and the Delta State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission (DESOPADEC) among others, have since complied with the court order/judgment by recognizing and according our client all privileges and rights as an oil producing community.
“Our client is aware that the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) and Chevron Nigeria Limited are currently at the verge of establishing the “Warri Kingdom Onshore Host Communities Development Trust” as required under the Petroleum Industry Act No. 6, 2021.
“However, our client’s findings show that it has been maliciously excluded from the list of qualified and entitled communities in Dibi Field in an attempt to punish her ( because our client took Chevron Nigeria Limited to court over crude Oil spillages.
“Our client has written to Chevron Nigeria Limited to no avail, hence this complaint to the Authority (NMDPRA).
“We are by this letter requesting that you use your good offices to intervene in this matter by directing that our client be included as a host community in the proposed “Warri Kingdom Onshore Host Communities Development Trust” as provided under the relevant sections of the Petroleum Industry Act No. 6 of 2021 and the relevant Host Communities Development Trust template.
“Take notice that our client intends to commence a legal action against the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), Chevron Nigeria Limited and any other relevant agency in the event that the Authority fails to act on this letter.”
The community said it had earlier written the Registrar of the Corporate Affairs Commission, CAC, to place a caveat on the registration of the “Warri Kingdom Onshore Host Communities Development Trust” until all issues surrounding the planned registration is sorted out.
