“Our preliminary investigations have revealed that there were no fatalities in the incident”
By YANGE IKYAA
The Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) has said no life lost has been lost as a result of spillage from the Santa Barbara Well 1 operated by AITEO Eastern Exploration and Production Company in the Bassambiri community of Nembe Local Government, Bayelsa State.
Engr Gbenga Komolafe, chief executive of NUPRC, made this known through a statement in Abuja, assuring also that his Commission was working closely with Aiteo to stop the spill and begin a clean-up of the area as soon as possible.
Komolafe reiterated the commitment of the Commission to tackle oil spills in the Nigerian oil and gas sector in fulfilment of its regulatory mandate as enshrined in the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) 2021, Petroleum Act and the Petroleum (Drilling and Production) Regulations and Subsidiary Legislations.
According to him, “our preliminary investigations have revealed that there were no fatalities in the incident. However crude oil and gas were seen gushing out from valves close to the top of the wellhead at high pressure but without any associated fire. The water surrounding the wellhead was polluted with oil. The affected well had been previously shut-in and therefore not producing at the time of incident”.
He also assured that the Commission will continue to monitor the site situation and guide the operator until the spill and its attendant problems are completely addressed. This, he noted, includes but is not limited to implementing all effective physical and engineering solutions to the incident, managing the safety of the response providers and people in the neighbouring communities, and educating the general public on the site situation periodically.
In specific terms, Engr. Komolafe said, the Commission will ensure that the pressure from the well is stopped to put an end to oil release, even as the already released oil is appropriately contained and skimmed off as it is being released. Also, a joint investigation visit (JIV) is to be conducted as soon as it is safe to do so, while cleanup and restorative actions are to be done immediately after the spill is stopped. He also promised that compensation will paid to affected communities on time and in accordance with the law.
In his words, “it was confirmed that upon receiving the report of the incident, the operator, AITEO mobilized immediately for preliminary assessment of site conditions and based on the specific site requirements, positioned containment booms to isolate the spill source and prevent oil from spreading further; while also cordoning off the area to prevent injuries to people and fire from any possible ignition source. It also called in Boots and Coots, a well disaster management company, from the US, to cap the pressure and stop further spill.”
Clean Nigeria Associates (CNA) was also engaged to contain and recover the oil as well as manage and protect the immediate environment, even as the company has continually updated the NUPRC on-site conditions and their action steps.
On receipt of reports of the incident by the Commission, field operations team were promptly mobilized and are currently on ground for regulatory oversight assessment to determine probable cause(s) and to ensure all response actions are the most appropriate and effective to return normalcy in the shortest possible time.
“Apart from checking to confirm that the company is carrying out the necessary response measures to contain the situation, the Commission has made its officials available to participate in containment procedures that are considered safe by the experts at this moment. Initial spill report has been received and appropriately reviewed and documented while updates are received diligently,” Engr. Komolafe concluded.