Three other people were injured, Eni said in a statement on Friday.
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According to the Friday statement by Italy’s oil giant Eni, which was repairing a faulty pipeline on the Tebidaba-Clough Creek line near the town of Azuzuama in Nigeria’s southern Bayelsa State, the strong blast occured on Thursday as its maintenance crew was conducting fix work on it, Xinhua reported.
A Joint Investigation Visit by the Nigerian Agip Oil Company (NAOC), the operators of the oil field, was underway at the time of the explosion at an oil spill site.
Nigeria, a member of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries, is Africa’s leading petro-state, though political uncertainty and militant activity present risks to its production potential and its economy.
The development came as almost 300,000 barrels per day are reportedly lost to pipeline vandals who tap crude by damaging oil facilities along Nigeria’s southern region.
The company said that further information will be released as soon as it is available.
“The cause of the incident is still under investigation by both Eni and the local authorities”.
“The company expresses its deepest condolences to the families involved in this tragic accident”, the firm stated.
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The rights group said Eni had “clearly lost control” over operations in the Niger Delta.
