Twelve workers have been killed and others were injured after an explosion ripped through a repair site at an Eni-connected pipeline in Nigeria on Thursday.

The blast occurred on or near the onshore Tebidaba-Clough Creek line in the Niger Delta late on Thursday afternoon, Italian major Eni said.

"The explosion resulted in the death of 12 members of the maintenance team of a local company of services, with three others being injured," he said.

"The causes of the incident are still under investigation by both Eni and the local authorities."

Eni claimed that the pipeline had been "previously damaged by acts of sabotage". It is unclear from the Italian's statement if the explosion occured on the pipeline itself or at an adjacent repair site.

The nationalities of the deceased and injured and the extent of damage to the facility have not been reported.

It continued: "The company expresses its deepest condolences to the families involved in this tragic accident."

The pipeline where the explosion occured has suffered a blast from militants in the past - in April 2012 Mend claimed an attack on the pipeline.

Militant attacks on oil infrastructure are not as common following a 2012 amnesty offered by the administration of former president Goodluck Jonathan to groups in an attempt to reduce the number of firearms in the Niger Delta and beyond.

However, assaults on pipelines and other oil facilities remain commonplace as criminals syphon off crude. Oil companies regularly blame such actions for pipeline disrutption and leaks.

Source: www.upstreamonline.com

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