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The Joint Military Task Force in the Niger Delta, codenamed Operation Delta Safe, has confirmed a fire incident at an oilfield operated by Conoil in Koluama, Southern Ijaw Local Government Area of Bayelsa State.
The fire which reportedly occurred on Saturday morning engulfed an oil rig owned by Depthwize Nigeria, an oil services firm working at the oil block operated by Conoil Nigeria Limited.
The rig is located within Nigerian territorial waters in the Atlantic Ocean off Koluama community in Southern Ijaw area of the state.
Spokesman for the OPDS, Maj. Abdullhi Ibrahim, who confirmed the incident on Saturday, said that all personnel on board the rig were successfully evacuated. He said that the fire was already under control due to the efforts of firefighters, adding that no life was lost.
Although the number of personnel onboard the ill-fated vessel named MV Majestic could not be ascertained, it was learnt that the 232 feet rig had capacity to accommodate 120 men on board.
Also, a community leader in Koluama, Mr George Ibobra, confirmed the incident, saying that the people were grateful that no human life was lost in the inferno.
Recall that the youths of Akassa, in Sanganna area of Bayelsa, had put out a fire which occurred on Conoil offshore platform near Brass LGA, Bayelsa in September 2017.
Also in 2012 , an explosion occurred on a rig, K.S Endeavour, at an oilfield operated by Chevron near the North Apoi in Koluama.
