Eroton Exploration and Production Company Limited has explained that illegal third-party activity and sabotage were the likely cause of a gas fire that broke out at  the Buguma 10 Gas Well, a gas well located within Oil Mining Lease 18 (OML18) recently.

The firm offered this explanation in a statement adding that it is currently working to restore conditions of the well, after which a full joint investigation will be carried out into the cause of the fire.

It noted that there were no fatalities or spill into the environment resulting from this incident.

According to the company, “On the 8 January 2018, a gas fire broke out on the Buguma 10 gas well, a gas well located within Oil Mining Lease 18 (OML 18) that is operated by Eroton Exploration and Production Company Limited, operator of the Eroton/NNPC Joint Venture.

“Eroton had taken over operatorship of this OML from Shell Petroleum Development Company Limited in 2015. Preliminary checks with Eroton reveal that it has promptly reported the incident to the relevant regulatory bodies including the Department of Petroleum Resources and the NOSDRA.

“Our investigations have further revealed that the well is a non-operational one having been safely secured by SPDC with a downhole plug and a Non-Return Valve before transfer to Eroton,” the company stated.