An Indigenous oil firm, Aiteo Eastern Exploration and Production Company (AEEPCO), has confirmed the reports of an oil spill from its facility and temporarily shut down production at its Nembe field in response to it.
The Eagle Online had earlier reported a fresh oil spill spreading across the Nembe Creek in Nembe Local Government Area of Bayelsa State.
According to reports, the spill, which occurred around 6 pm on Monday at a facility operated by Aiteo Exploration and Production is coming 3 years after the oil and gas blowout at a well owned by the company in the area.
It was learned that the latest incident occurred at a loading point in the Nembe Creek when the force of the tide caused a stationed vessel to hit a loading vessel, identified as FMT 23.
Aiteo in a statement dated June 18, 2024 but made available to newsmen on Wednesday in Yenagoa by its Spokesperson, Ndiana Matthew, confirmed the Monday oil leak from its facility.
The statement read: “Aiteo Eastern Exploration and Production Company (AEEPCO), operator of the NNPC / Aiteo Joint Venture on OML 29, confirms it has detected an oil leak at its Nembe swamp facility in OML 29, Nembe Kingdom, Bayelsa State.
“The leak was reported on Monday, June 17, 2024, during routine operations. AEEPCO’s Oil Spill and Emergency Response Team was immediately activated and all production from OML 29 shut down.
“This is a precautionary measure while mobilizing additional resources to contain the spill.
“The cause of the spill is currently undetermined. However, we are proactively engaging with stakeholders to mitigate the immediate effects.”
Commenting on the incident, 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 (JIV) with stakeholders has been initiated to determine the cause of this incident.
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“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.
“Our joint venture partners and the relevant regulators; The Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) and the National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA) have been notified of the incident.”
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