93% oil spills caused by theft in five months –NOSDRA
Data from the oil spill monitor, a satellite powered tracker run by the National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency, (NOSDRA) showed that of the reported 3363.03 barrels of oil spilled from December 2020 through April, 3140.10 barrels, representing a staggering 93.4 per cent, were from oil theft alone.
NOSDRA through its National Oil Spill Contingency System coordinates a response system to manage incidences of oil spills across the country.
A host of approximately 93 incidents including pipeline corrosion, equipment failure, operational maintenance, oil theft or pipeline sabotage and an undefined ‘others’ were given as causes for the oil spills.
A total of 96.70 barrels were wasted due to corrosion; 89.09 barrels from equipment failure; 22.13 barrels from operational maintenance; 3140.10 barrels from sabotage and 15 barrels from other causes.
NOSDRA also reported that the 93 oil spill incidents happened in seven states. Delta State recorded the highest number at 46, with 1444.76 barrels recorded as spilled.
Rivers State recorded the second highest number of incidents at 28 with 808.25 barrels reportedly spilled. Imo, Edo and Akwa Ibom recorded four incidents each with 464.00, 37.00 and 0.09 barrels respectively while Bayelsa and Abia states recorded one incident each with 69.00 and 211.00 barrels recorded spilled.
The majority of the incidents happened in January, as 1641.84 barrels were spilled in 25 incidents, while the least numbers of incidents, seven, with 66.00 barrels, were recorded in April 2021. Facilities owned by Shell Petroleum Development Company and the Nigerian Agip Oil Company were reportedly connected to 50 of the 93 incidents.
The SPDC’s facilities were connected with the spillage of 1863.79 barrels of oil, as the National Petroleum Development Company’s facilities reportedly spilled 1062.04 barrels of oil. Agip spilled 18.81 barrels.
Agip shut its facility at the Idu oilfields in Bayelsa last week after a Joint Investigation Visit report revealed the occurrence of oil spillage. It was reported that the incident could be traced to equipment failure due to a rupture at the wellhead.
Italian energy firm, Eni, Agip’s parent company, reportedly shut down the facility to prevent further environmental damage.
A spokesperson from Eni was quoted as saying, “As soon as the incident was reported, we activated our oil spill response, shut in the well, and notified government regulatory agencies.
“The JIV was carried out on May 9, with the participation of community representatives and the government regulatory agencies.
