Blazes break out along oil pipeline in Nigeria

Several blazes have broken out on an oil pipeline in southern Nigeria, and no casualties had been reported and the causes are still unknown, an official from the Nigerian state oil company stated on Tuesday.

"Early this morning, we put out one fire but we are still battling the others," said J. A. Uwaseba, deputy area manager for operations of the Pipelines and Products Marketing Company (PPMC), an arm of the Nigerian state oil company.

The pipeline affected carries petroleum products from a refinery in Warri, which is the oil hub in Delta state, to northern Nigeria. Two other crude oil pipelines operated by Royal Dutch Shell in the Niger Delta were attacked by unknown gunmen on Dec. 20, with 11 people killed.

The Niger Delta produces almost all of Nigeria's crude oil, however, violence and sabotage against the oil industry is common in the area.

Source: Xinhua