Tension Mounts In Bayelsa As Gas Leak From NNPCL Oil Well Continues

Panic is escalating within Okpoama Kingdom of Brass Local Government Area in Bayelsa State due to a gas leak originating from an oil well owned by the Nigerian Petroleum Development Company (NPDC), a subsidiary of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL)…CONTINUE READING....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

The leak, occurring along the Bendick-Kiri axis of the Kingdom, has resulted in the release of both oil and gas into the surrounding environment.

Sources in the area have reported that the oil well, officially identified as “Kurogbagba 1” in OML 66, has been discharging oil and gas for the past five days, causing pollution in the nearby creeks.

The intense pressure forcing oil and gas from the wellhead has emitted a threatening hissing sound audible from over a kilometer away, prompting fishermen to evacuate their settlements due to concerns of a potential fire outbreak.

Monday Okon, the head of the fishermen in Bendick Kiri, confirmed that the pervasive gas and oil odors, as well as the fire risk, have forced the community’s residents to flee. He expressed concerns about the proximity of their homes to the oil well and the potential for a fire disaster.

According to Okon, this incident marks the third time the leakage has occurred, with the latest occurrence being the most severe. In May of the same year, the abandoned 53-year-old oil well experienced a leak that was subsequently contained before another blowout on October 20, 2023.

Comrade Tarinyo Akono, a former Chairman of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, visited the site on October 23, 2023, and described the blowout as severe and exceedingly hazardous for both the community and the environment.

He urged the NPDC to address the ongoing issues associated with these wells, as there are more than fifty of them in the vicinity.