Aiteo Eastern E&P, based in Nigeria, has reported a “very high order” oil spill from a jointly owned well in the Niger Delta and has been forced to abandon immediate measures to contain the leak due to pressure from the wellhead.
Aiteo and the state oil corporation NNPC own the well, which is not in production and is located in Bayelsa State.
The reason for the leak, which was detected last Friday, is still unknown, although Aiteo would not rule out crude oil theft or sabotage.
In the Niger Delta, a huge tangle of waterways and mangrove swamps crisscrossed by pipelines and afflicted by poverty, pollution, oil-fuelled corruption, and violence, oil leaks are regular, sometimes due to vandalism, sometimes owing to corrosion.
“The magnitude of this incident is enormous. Due to the tremendous pressure emerging from the wellhead, immediate measures to contain the leak were abandoned “Late Tuesday, Aiteo issued a statement.
Oil spills in Nigeria, Africa’s largest oil producer, have wreaked havoc on many communities where residents have no other source of water than creeks and rely on farming and fishing for livelihood.
According to Aiteo, the incident was reported to regulators, and a team of local and international control specialists was assembled to try to stop the leak.
According to company representative Ndiana Matthew, the well is part of the assets that Aiteo purchased from Royal Dutch Shell in 2015.
Oil firms in Nigeria have had difficulty cleaning up spills, often due to obstructive behavior and even violence by local gangs seeking larger compensation or clean-up contracts.
