The National Oil Spills Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA) has made interventions at oil spills at the Nigeria Agip Oil Company, NAOC, at Lasukugbene community and oil wellhead leak at Oil Mining Lease (OML) 18, operated by Eroton Exploration and Production Limited, Rivers State.
The spill that occurred in June, according to residents said that the oil facility has been discharging oil and gas into the coastal environment for the past one week.
The Director-General of NOSDRA, Mr. Idris Musa, while confirming the leakage, said that efforts were on to contain the menace, adding that “the company reported that an oil recovery was underway. Efforts are on to stop the source which is a wellhead.”
Also, a notification report by Mr. Odianosen Masade, Corporate Communications Lead at Eroton, indicated that the incident occurred on June 15, while a site assessment visit was carried out on June 23.
“This is to bring to your attention the loss of control of Cawthorne Channel Well 15 resulting in an oil spill. CAWC015L/S is a dual string well, which started production in May 1977. The short string was shut-in in 1988 due to the high gas-oil ratio (HGOR), while the long string watered out and well quit in 1991.
“The spill started on June 15, 2022, and immediately an emergency response procedure was activated.
“Our team of good engineers is working with contractors and evaluating the safest procedure that will be required to bring the well under control.”
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For NAOC, NOSDRA in an update to NatureNews wrote, “report for a JIV to NAOC: 6″ AZUZUAMA/TEBIDABA F/L AT IKEBIRI.
The cause of spill was “Third party interference.”
It further stated that, “Unknown person (s) installed a flanged at 12 O’clock position on the pipeline. Area of impact -was outside company right of way and inside right of way.
It also stated that the JIV concluded and repair effected.
For NAOC at TUOMO OGBAINBIRI PPL, AYAMASA, EKEREMORE LGA.
“At three different points, Hacksaw cut observed at different positions on the pipe line, also wraps of different materials were used around the different cuts caused by unknown person(s).”
NatureNews recalls that the DG in an interview noted that ‘’Between 2015 and January, 2022 in Bayelsa state, we have recorded 1086 oil spills and out of the 1086 oil spills, 917 were as a result of vandalism which is also what we call sabotage or third party interference.’’
