Three crew members on board the Trinity Spirit Floating Production, Storage and Offloading vessel gutted by fire at the Ukpokiti Terminal last Wednesday have been confirmed alive.
Though a yet-to-be identified body was discovered close to the offshore facility in the wee hours of Sunday, the seven others remain missing.
The management of Shebah Exploration & Production Company Limited (SEPCOL) (in receivership) confirmed the development in a statement on Sunday.
According to the statement, the trio was found in a community (name undisclosed).
The Nation had reported that three of the victims were rescued by some Ilaje traders.
The statement signed by Ikemefuna Okafor, Chief Executive Officer of SEPCOL said in parts: “We can confirm that three (3) crew members have been found alive in the community and our priority is to ensure that they receive the appropriate medical attention they need.
“Furthermore, in the early hours of Sunday 6th February 2022, one dead body was discovered in the vicinity of the FPSO. The identity of the dead body is yet to be ascertained.
“As earlier confirmed, the fire burnt out completely as of Thursday afternoon, 3rd Feb. 2022, thus enabling closer inspection of the vessel.
“A Joint Investigation Visit (JIV) with the relevant authorities, stakeholders, and expert organisations took place on Saturday, 5th February 2022.
“The focus of our joint efforts is to prioritise investigations towards establishing the whereabouts, safety, and security of the 7 crew members still missing, clean up and limit damage to the environment, and establish the cause of the explosion.
“We appreciate the assistance provided by the Clean Nigeria Associates, the Chevron team,
NOSDRA, NUPRC, SPDC, NIMASA and people in the community, particularly the fishermen, who have been of immense assistance since the incident occurred”.
The vessel, which eventually burnt out and sunk, had a capacity to produce 22,000 crude oil barrels daily and serves as the primary production facility for OML 108.
