SPOTLIGHTS
- A crude oil spill occurred at Aiteo’s Nembe oilfield in Bayelsa State
- The cause of the spill is under investigation
- Production at OML 29 has been shut down as a precautionary measure
From Femi Folaranmi, Yenagoa
The Aiteo Eastern Exploration and Production Company (AEEPCO), operator of the NNPC/Aiteo Joint Venture on OML 29, is investigating a crude loading mishap at its Oil Mining Licence, OML 29, Nembe, in Nembe Local Government Area of Bayelsa State.
The management of Aiteo said the oil leak was detected at its Nembe swamp facility in OML 29 on Monday, 17 June 2024, during routine operations.
Accordingly, AEEPCO’s Oil Spill and Emergency Response Team was immediately activated and all production from OML 29 shut down to mitigate the effect of the leak.
“This is a precautionary measure while mobilising additional resources to contain the spill. The cause of the spill is currently undetermined. However, we are proactively engaging with stakeholders to mitigate the immediate effects,” the oil company stated.
AEEPCO’s Group Managing Director, Victor Okoronkwo, commented on the incident: “During our operations on Monday, 17 June 2024, the subject leak was detected. A Joint Investigative Visit (JIV) with stakeholders has been initiated to determine the cause of this incident. While we regret the production losses to the Joint Venture and the nation and the potential environmental impact, our current priority is to expedite an efficient spill management process in line with regulatory standards and collaborate with all stakeholders to restore production and mitigate associated risks.
“Our joint venture partners and the relevant regulators – the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) and the National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA) – have been notified of the incident.”
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The National Oil Spills Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA), which confirmed the leak incident on Wednesday, said the oil company reported the incident to its office in Yenagoa.
Mr Solomon Ukponevi, Head of NOSDRA’s field office in Yenagoa, disclosed that the agency has deployed its officials to the spill site to ascertain the cause and volume of crude oil discharged into the environment.
On the extent of the resulting pollution, Ukponevi said that the Joint Investigative Visit (JIV) scheduled for today (Wednesday) will determine the impacted area, amongst other details.
“I will not be able to provide details until staff deployed for the JIV return from the fields, but I can tell you that Aiteo has reported the spill and [an] investigation is underway,” he said.
The 97-kilometre Nembe Creek Trunkline (NCTL), that hitherto fed the Bonny Oil Export Terminal in Rivers has since been discarded by the indigenous firm that acquired the Nembe field from Shell in 2015.
Following persistent vandalism on the oil export line, with a capacity to evacuate 180,000 barrels of crude daily, Aiteo resorted to using barges to convey crude from the Nembe fields.
The barges and smaller vessels are used to transport crude from onshore oil wells to a Floating Production Storage and Offloading (FPSO) vessel, from which Aiteo exports the Nembe Crude blend to crude tankers in the Atlantic Ocean.
Sources at the oilfield say the operational mishap discharged large volumes of the Nembe Crude blend into the Atlantic Ocean and subsequently adjoining creeks.