A blaze caused by an explosion on an oil ship that sparked fears of an environmental disaster off southern Nigeria has been brought under control, the government said Friday. Despite being Africa’s largest crude producer, accidents are frequent in Nigeria’s oil and gas industry, although they usually occur on land. It was unclear how much oil was stored at the time of the explosion or whether any had started spilling into the water. The vessel had a processing capacity of 22,000 barrels per day and a storage capacity of two million barrels, according to the company’s website. “This is a facility that handles over 20,000 barrels per day… the oil will reach the surrounding communities.”

Source: The Guardian February 05, 2022 02:23 UTC