Idris Musa, Director-General of NOSDRA, stated that a Joint Investigative Visit (JIV) to the site had been scheduled for Saturday to ascertain the cause of the blast and the volume of crude oil that was spilt. The JIV includes representatives of the oil firm, regulators, the host community, and the State Ministry of Environment.
The TNP, operated by Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC), transports crude oil from its oil fields to the Bonny Crude Oil Export Terminal. An SPDC spokesman, Michael Adande, said in a statement that the fire incident occurred at the Rumuekpe-Nkpoku trunk line in Rivers, and that technical teams were working with relevant government agencies to put out the fire.
After the fire is extinguished, a government-led joint investigation team will commence an investigation to ascertain the cause of the incident. NOSDRA's investigation and the JIV will also be part of the process to determine what led to the explosion at the Shell facility in Rivers.