Aiteo Eastern Exploration and Production Company, which operates the NNPC/Aiteo Joint Venture on OML 29, has announced that it has commenced investigations into the source of the oil spill at the Nembe field in Bayelsa State.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, Aiteo revealed that it discovered the oil leak at its Nembe marsh plant in OML 29, Nembe, on Monday, June 17, 2024, during routine operations and shut it down, according to The Punch.
According to the statement, AEEPCO’s Oil Spill and Emergency Response Team was promptly engaged, and all production at OML 29 was halted.
This, the energy corporation termed as a cautious measure, even as it mobilized additional resources to contain the spill, the origin of which remained unknown at the time of this report.
“The cause of the spill is currently undetermined. However, we are proactively engaging with stakeholders to mitigate the immediate effects,” the company stated.
Commenting on the development, AEEPCO’s Group Managing Director, Victor Okoronkwo, said, “During our operations on Monday, June 17, 2024, the subject leak was detected. A Joint Investigative Visit 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.”
The company also stated that the joint venture partners and key regulators, such as the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission and the National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency, had been alerted of the event.
Meanwhile, Meanwhile, NOSDRA also confirmed the oil spillage from the Nembe Oil field on Wednesday.
The Head of NOSDRA’s field Office in Yenagoa, Mr Solomon Ukponevi, confirmed the development to newsmen on Wednesday in Yenagoa.
He noted that the agency has sent officials to the spill location to investigate the cause and quantities of crude oil spilled into the environment.
According to NUPRC data, the Nembe field produced 4.75 million barrels of crude oil in the first five months of the year. This represents an average of 949,337 barrels each month and 31,644 barrels per day.
