A detailed investigation has been commenced to assess the cause of the explosion at the Gbetiokun oilfield

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The Gbetiokun oilfield is located southeast of licence OML 40 license. (Credit: skeeze from Pixabay)

An explosion at the Gbetiokun oilfield located southeast of licence OML 40, operated by the Nigerian Petroleum Development Company (NPDC), has killed seven people.

Covering an area of 498km², the OML 40 prospect lies onshore within the Niger Delta. It is approximately 65km north-west from the city of Warri.

NNPC Group, Group Public Affairs Division general manager Dr Kennie Obateru said that the blast occurred during the installation of a ladder on Benin River Valve Station platform for access during discharging of Gbetiokun production.

A detailed investigation has been commenced to assess the cause of the explosion while the Nigerian Department of Petroleum Resources has been duly notified.

NPDC said in a statement that “all personnel on board the platform had been fully accounted for.”

NPDC operates OML 40 license on behalf of the NPDC/Elcrest Joint Venture

NPDC operates the OML 40 license on behalf of the NPDC/Elcrest Joint Venture. The OML 40 licence is estimated to have gross 2P reserves of 82.2 million barrels, and gross 2C contingent resources of 50.7 million barrels.

Last year, Eland Oil & Gas announced it has achieved the first production from Gbetiokun oilfield, through the early production facility (EPF).

The EPF is designed to process all the reservoir fluids produced under the initial phase of the Gbetiokun development.

The facility holds a nominal capacity of 22,000bopd and shuttle tankers are deployed to evacuate the processed crude from Gbetiokun to the injection point on the main OML 40 export pipeline.

The company said that the initial gross production was in line with its expectations and would reach approximately 12,000 barrels of oil per day (bopd) from the Gbetiokun-1 and Gbetiokun-3 wells.