The incident occurred in a desert area in Niger in late September. Authorities there say crude oil shot up in a column ten meters high while spreading hundreds of meters across the ground.
The situation was described on Monday as ongoing but “partially under control.” The Ministry of Energy, which is controlled by the country’s military junta, said an investigation was underway with the help of “Algerian expertise.”
The energy facility is operated by a subsidiary of the Chinese state-owned company China National Petroleum Corporation, according to AFP.
