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OVH Energy depot fire has

been contained, DPR says

Nigeria’s Department of Petroleum Resources
(DPR) says Thursday’s fire incident at OVH
Energy tank farm at Marine Beach in the Ijora
area of Lagos State has been brought under
control.
Paul Osu, Head, Public Affairs, DPR con-
firmed the development in a statement issued
on Saturday in Lagos. He said the fire was put
out at about 7:55 a.m. on Saturday by a com-
bined team of fire fighters. Osu said from the
regulatory agency’s preliminary report, all safety
control measures to contain the fire, which was
restricted to one tank , were swiftly activated by regulations and requirements because the busi- successfully completed phase 1 of the project’s
the company and other stakeholders. ness is highly hazardous and a threat to lives and scouting works, and is moving to phase 2.
According to him, all staff were safely evac- property of the people.” The landmark exploration programme is
uated from the facility. “All other adjourning According to Ibrahim, the department has being executed under two service contracts
facilities have also activated their safety control recorded many fire outbreak accidents across the signed by the Ministry of Mines and Hydrocar-
measures to prevent spread to their facilities. country as a result of poor handling and unsafe bons in 2020 with JSC Zarubezhgeologia and
“Our operations team are fully on ground for cylinder to cylinder gas refilling process. He JSC Yuzhmorgeologia, internationally operating
ongoing investigations and we will continue to advised the retailers to address how to improve subsidiaries of Rosgeo. It notably covers an initial
provide updates as to probable cause of the inci- their businesses as the department had no intent phase of seismic acquisition in transit zone and
dent,” he said. to push them out of the business. He said that state geological mapping in the Rio Muni area, in
OVH Energy had said on Thursday that among the roles of the gas retailers as stated in mainland Equatorial Guinea.
investigation was ongoing to unravel the cause the DPR regulations was to sell a full gas cylinder, As a result, JSC Zarubezhgeologia has been
of the incident. “Preliminary information about either through cylinder exchange or a new one. performing scouting works for state geologi-
the incident reveals that the fire emanated from a Ibrahim advised the gas retailers to put safety cal mapping, while JSC Yuzhmorgeologia has
tank within the terminal,” it said in a statement. It measures in their shops and also register with been performing the same for complex seismic
said an investigation had been launched to ascer- the DPR. “All gas retailers in the state are advised acquisition in the transit zone of Rio Muni. The
tain other details on the incident. to provide protection safety facilities to their area, which includes large onshore zones but also
Department of Petroleum Resources, November workers and the shop. Also, the retail outlets shallow water areas, is believed to be one of the
07 2020 are advised to register with the DPR to obtain most promising exploration frontiers in Equa-
approved licence,” Ibrahim said. torial Guinea. It could notably turn the country
DPR tells LPG retailers to man, LPG Retailers Outlets Association, exploration.
In his remarks, Emmanuel Ogbodo, Chair-
once again into a hotspot for natural resources
avoid cylinder-to-cylinder Adamawa, thanked the department for organis- Increased exploration by Rosgeo is expected
ing the sensitisation meeting for their members. not only to help in sustaining and increasing
gas refilling Ogbodo said that the sensitisation was an eye domestic output of oil and gas, but also in prov-
opener to the members and that the association ing additional reserves in key minerals to help
The Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) would look at the request of the DPR and delib- Equatorial Guinea further diversify its economy.
has warned LPG retail outlets against cylinder erate on it. “The geological mapping project undertaken
to cylinder gas refilling and decanting because Department of Petroleum Resources, November by Rosgeo in the Rio Muni is not only a new pil-
of the associated risks. 03 2020 lar of energy cooperation between the Republic
Sadeq Ibrahim, Operations Controller, Yola of Equatorial Guinea and the Russian Federa-
DPR Office, gave the warning at a one-day sen- tion, but could also shape the future of our nat-
sitisation meeting with gas retailers in the state SERVICES ural resources industry. Our mainland is one of
held in Yola. Ibrahim said that the warning the richest regions of the country for mining and
became necessary to prevent fire disasters as well Rosgeo wraps up mapping minerals which we have identified as strong sec-
as protect lives and property of the people. tors to diversify our economy and create jobs. We
He said that the department would no longer project in Equatorial Guinea have also always believed in the onshore hydro-
tolerate the dangerous cylinder-to-cylinder gas carbons potential of the region, and understand-
refilling business for the safety of the people A month after it started a historic geological ing its geology will prove extremely beneficial to
and also for those handling the business. “LPG mapping project in Equatorial Guinea’s Rio support future oil & gas activities there which
cylinder-to-cylinder re-bottling, refilling and Muni region, Russia’s state-owned joint stock could be carried out by local operators,” declared
decanting is prohibited by Department of Petro- company Rosgeo has made significant pro- Gabriel Mbaga Obiang Lima, Minister of Mines
leum Resources (DPR). The transfilling of the gress and is stepping up exploration efforts on and Hydrocarbons.
resources are not allowed and is against the DPR the country’s mainland. The company has now African Energy Chamber, November 10 2020

Week 45 11•November•2020 www. NEWSBASE .com P17