‘It Was Mere Rupture’ – Kyari Refutes Reports Of NNPC Pipeline Explosion

The Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Mallam Mele Kyari, has said the incident at the Abura Crude Trunk line on Friday was a “mere rupture” and not an explosion as widely reported.

Kyari said this shortly after teeing off the 2019 NNPC Upstream Golf Tournament in Benin, Edo State, on Saturday. 

The NNPC GMD assured that the damaged facility situated at Otu-Jeremi town in Ughelli, Delta State, will be fixed within three days. 

“It wasn’t an explosion. It was a rupture on one of our pipelines. Our engineers have moved to site. In three days, we would fix it. We’ve since contained the spill coming out of that pipeline. There was no fire anywhere on the pipeline. There’s no cause for alarm,” he said.

Kyari assured that the ruptured facility, which is operated by the Nigerian Petroleum Development Company (NPDC), would not impact on power supply in the country. 

Speaking further, the GMD said the Benin Golf Club would afford staff of NNPC working in the area to maintain a healthy lifestyle through exercise. 

“Our operations require the support of all stakeholders to succeed. We see our relationship with the Benin Golf Club as crucial in helping us achieve our key targets of growing production, increasing the nation’s reserves & ensuring lasting peace in the N/Delta,” said Kyari.