18 days after explosion, Ondo oil well still burns

The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Joint Venture (NNPC/CNL JV) Ojumole Well 1, in Ilaje Local Government Area of Ondo State, operated by Chevron Nigeria Limited (CNL), is still burning; 18 days after explosion.

The explosion, which occurred on the oil field on April 18, in Ikorigho community, sparked tension among residents.

A chief in the coastal community, Owolemi Ayerin, told TheCable, that the onshore oil platform is still burning and it is having a toll on the riverine environment.

“It was a massive explosion. We don’t know the cause, but, it has not claimed any live till date. It’s still burning.

“We’ve been writing them for some years about the oil field but they neglected it. Chevron has come to meet us and we’ve had meetings with them twice. They said they are doing all necessary things to put out the fire. All the fishes in close-by rivers have died. The water is drying up. I don’t think any plant can grow around that vicinity again,” Ayerin said.

Chevron’s General Manager, Policy, Government and Public Affairs, Esimaje Brikinn, in a statement, said the facility is an idle and plugged well with no flowline connected to it and that the company is working towards putting out the fire; as soon possible.

“CNL immediately conducted an overflight to evaluate the fire and also mobilized emergency responders to assess the site, contain the fire and boom the area,” Brikinn said.

“In addition, CNL notified community stakeholders about the incident and also reported it to the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR), National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA) and other regulatory and security authorities.

“A Joint Investigation Visit (JIV) to the site of the incident on Saturday April 20, 2019, by a team made up of regulatory agencies, community stakeholders and CNL, determined that the fire incident was caused by third-party interference. There was no impact to any of the neighboring communities.

“CNL is currently working with contractors to safely put out the fire as quickly as possible,” the oil firm said.