New revelations have continued to emerge as to what led to the Cawthorne Channel 1 fire incident and the devastation it orchestrated in just less than a week.

A highly placed industry source, who preferred to be anonymous for now, narrated to Kristina Reports how a devastating explosion caused the inferno which engulfed the Cawthorne Channel 1 facility on the afternoon of Wednesday, February 19, 2025.

The source narrated that a crane operation went wrong during crude oil offloading from a shuttle tanker.

The inferno, which he described as a bomb-like blast, destroyed multiple vessels, sinking some and leaving billions of naira in damages. 

According to the source, whose company’s vessel was affected, disclosed that the explosion occurred while the shuttle tanker was transferring crude oil from the ENL Triumph 2 offshore storage barge, which is connected to the wellhead.

“The tanker exploded and sank, while the storage barge, fully laden with crude oil, miraculously avoided a catastrophic explosion.”  

The source, whose company is a member of the Bonny Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture, opted to remain anonymous for the moment.

He, however, attributed this to quick-thinking workers who opened deck manholes during the fire, preventing pressure buildup. 

“The storage barge should have exploded, but God intervened directly, and men on the ground acted fast, the source revealed. 

However, serious questions are being raised about the lack of emergency response at the time of the explosion.

According to the source, there was no functional firefighting system in place, and assistance was only mobilized the following day, when much of the damage had already been done. 

“Their quick-release press conference was full of lies and very provocative. They failed to mention there was no serious firefighting system at the time of the inferno.”

“Help came only the next day, after storage barges worth billions of naira had already been destroyed or damaged,” the source alleged. 

This marks the second major fire incident in recent months at OML 18, raising fresh concerns about safety standards and regulatory oversight.

With massive financial losses and growing environmental risks, industry stakeholders are now demanding a public hearing into the OML 18 fires.