Environmental Groups Want Agip to Clean Bayelsa Oil Spill Site

Oil-producing giant, Nigerian Agip Oil Company Limited (NAOC), has been charged to immediately step in and stop the oil leakage on its pipeline and also clean the oil spill site at Taylor Creek Oilfields.

The Environmental Rights Action/Friends of the Earth Nigeria (ERA/FoEN), which made the call, said the visits to the impacted area by its field monitors, however, showed that the damage to the pipeline was caused by vandals in September last year.

In the field report signed by the Head of Field Operations at ERA/FoEN, Alagoa Morris, and made available to journalists in Yenagoa yesterday, ERA/FoEN said the pipeline leak had been left to wreak havoc on the environment and residents near the oilfield operated by NAOC.

ERA/FoEN said though it condemns attacks on oil installations, the devastating effect on the environment made their call to the operator imperative.

It stated in the report that: “This is where Agip should take responsibility for not clamping the ruptured spot immediately and allowing condensate, crude oil and gas to continuing spewing for seven months.

“Whatever steps Agip might have taken, provided this spot has been left bubbling for over half a year makes the company culpable.

“If the company has a reputation of not attending to equipment failure incidents for up to two months, then this is not about cause of incident but a corporate attitude which needs to change.”

They requested the industry regulators, especially the National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency, Department of Petroleum Resources and the Bayelsa State Ministry of Environment, to investigate the matter.

The report charged further that “Bayelsa State Ministry of Agriculture should also begin to take needed interest on how farmlands and fishing environment are impacted by pollutants in the common interest of the people.

“Yenagoa Local Government Area should follow up and not only document such incidents but do the needful in terms of stakeholders’ engagement, including communities, security agencies, NGOs and the media.”

However, officials of Agip have declined to comment on the incident.