Four days after the inferno that gutted the offshore facility of Shebah Exploration and Production Company (SEPCOL) in Delta state, three crew members were rescued alife.
The management of SEPCOL disclosed this in a statement it issued in Receivership, Sunday.
Chief Executive Officer of SEPCOL, Ikemefuna Okafor, who pointed out that one yet-to-be-identified dead body was discovered at the facility, however, noted that the priority of the oil firm is to establish the whereabouts and safety of the seven that are still missing.
“We can confirm that three crew members have been found alive in the community and our priority is to ensure that they receive the appropriate medical attention they need.
“As earlier confirmed, the fire burnt out completely as of Thursday afternoon, February 3, 2022, thus, enabling closer inspection of the vessel. A Joint Investigation Visit (JIV) with relevant authorities, stakeholders, and expert organisations took place on Saturday, February 5, 2022.”
“The focus of our joint efforts is to prioritise investigations towards establishing the whereabouts, safety, and security of the seven crew members still missing, clean up and limit damage to the environment, and establish the cause of the explosion,” according to the statement.
The Federal Government reportedly lost not less than 200,000 barrels of crude oil in the incident.
Also, one of the operators utilising the services provided by the FPSO was said to have made an off-take of approximately 120,000 barrels before the inferno, leaving an estimated 50-60,000 barrels in the storage as at the time of the fire.
Minister of State for Environment, Mrs. Sharon Ikeazor, who made this known in Abuja, assured that the National Oil Spill Detection Response Agency (NOSDRA) will monitor the situation.
She noted that the operation will be sustained in the weeks ahead until remnants of oil in the FPSO are evacuated and measures are taken to prevent a recurrence.