Fire guts oil facility off Nigerian coast

By Olarewaju Kola

MAIDUGURI, Nigeria (AA) - An oil and gas facility off the Nigerian coast was razed by fire Thursday.

The facility with a daily processing capacity of about 22,000 barrels of oil, had workers on board when it burst into flames near the Delta region, according to an official.

Ikemefuna Okafor, Chief Executive Officer of Shebah Exploration & Production Company Ltd (SEPCOL), owners of the tanker, confirmed that 10 people were in the facility when the fire erupted.

"We have 10 crew on board the facility, " he said in the statement without providing details.

He said the company has started an investigation into the cause of the fire.

Nigeria is one of the leading oil producers in Africa.