Cawthrone Channel Flow Station Explosion
It has been reported that two flow stations around Cawthorne Channel in Bonny Local Government Area of Rivers State were engulfed by fire.
The incident was said to have occurred on the 19th of February 2025, about 30 nautical miles off the Bonny coastline. This explosion has destroyed the facilities and caused loss of lives.
A video shot by community members captured the arrival of personnel of the Nigeria National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), who were escorted by military gunboats to the scene. This has fueled speculations that the flow station may be owned by the NNPCL, which may have deployed a team to ascertain the state of things and provide a first-instance situation report.
The two flow stations were engulfed in huge flames on top of the sea.
Although details are still a bit sketchy as of press time, Cawthrone Channel is an area flooded with oil and gas facilities on the western flank of Bonny LGA, sharing boundaries with Degema LGA, also in Rivers State.
It is alleged that the fire was triggered by heat from the welding operation by the staff of the company that owns the flow station and quickly spread to every part of both facilities.
As of this report, neither NNPCL nor any other international oil and gas company (IOC) has provided any information about this incident.
