SOKU-ELOK, Nigeria — An explosion occurred late Saturday night along the Soku gas pipeline in Rivers State, disrupting operations on the delivery line that connects the Soku-Elok area of Abua to the Rumuji-Bonny export terminal.
The blast, which took place between 10 p.m. and 11 p.m. on Saturday, March 23, 2025, triggered a fire that has since been extinguished, according to Christian Otiasah, the environmental manager for the Soku community.
“There was an explosion and there was an attendant fire. The fire has been put off. It was put off because the Soku gas plant is automated such that depending on the impact, it can shut down itself,” Otiasah told reporters.
He clarified that the explosion occurred along the delivery gas line, not inside the gas processing facility itself.
No Immediate Cause Identified
The cause of the explosion remains unknown, and investigations are expected to be launched by both the operators of the pipeline and relevant environmental and regulatory agencies.
The Soku gas pipeline is part of Nigeria’s vital energy infrastructure, supplying natural gas to the Bonny export terminal, a key hub for the country’s liquefied natural gas exports.
Recent Series of Explosions Raises Concerns
The Soku incident follows closely on the heels of another explosion last week that ruptured a segment of the Trans-Niger Pipeline (TNP) in Bodo community, Gokana Local Government Area, also in Rivers State.
Tony Okonedo, spokesperson for Renaissance Group, which operates the TNP, confirmed that operations had since resumed after a successful third-party intervention.
“In other words, it [the system] can also isolate affected lines and starve off that line. If you starve the source of oxygen, the fire will naturally go off,” Okonedo said, describing the pipeline’s built-in emergency response mechanism.
No Casualties or Major Damage Reported
As of Monday morning, there have been no reported injuries, fatalities, or significant environmental impacts from the Soku explosion.
Local authorities and response teams are continuing to monitor the situation.
The recurring pipeline incidents in the oil-producing region have renewed concerns over infrastructure safety, potential sabotage, and the environmental risks tied to Nigeria’s energy sector.
