ABUJA, Nigeria, Aug. 4 (UPI) — Italian energy company Eni said its top executive met in Abuja with the Nigerian president to express sympathy for deaths caused by a July pipeline explosion.
Eni Chief Executive Claudio Descalzi updated Nigerian President Mahammadu Buhari on the company’s operations off the nation’s coast.
“During the meeting, which was friendly and constructive, Claudio Descalzi renewed his condolences for the tragedy caused by the recent explosion of a company’s pipeline in the Niger Delta, due to acts of sabotage, which resulted in the death of 14 people,” the company said in a statement.
Eni reported an explosion in mid July on the Tebidaba-Clough Creek oil pipeline. The explosion on the pipeline came as workers were trying to repair earlier damage the company blamed on saboteurs.
Amnesty International has expressed frustration with Eni and its counterparts at Royal Dutch Shell over the legacy of oil spills in the Niger Delta region. The rights group said the two companies combined reported more than 550 spills in the area last year
Eni in 2013 blamed criminal theft and sabotage for the loss of roughly 30,000 barrels of Nigerian oil per day, leading to losses of approximately $554 million. When announcing the incident in July, the company said it “appears likely” the fire was caused by parties behind crude oil theft from the pipeline.
Eni said its CEO was received warmly by the Nigerian president.
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