ODAHIEKWU OGUNDE, Yenagoa
A regulatory agency, the National Oil Spills Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA), submits that investigations into two oil leaks at the Nigerian Agip Oil Company (NAOC) oilfields in Bayelsa State are caused by sabotage (vandalism).
The two incidents reportedly occurred in Southern Ijaw and Ekeremor local government areas (LGAs) of the state.
The Director-General, NOSDRA, Mr Idris Musa, who made the report of the investigation known on Sunday, said the agency concluded Joint Investigation Visits (JIVs) to the sites within the last one week.
He stated that a JIV to the six-inch Azuzuama-Tebidaba flow-line at Ikebiri in Southern Ijaw LGA operated by the NAOC was traced to third party interference.
The DG said that the incident suspected to be the handiwork of oil thieves occured on June 13, 2022 while the JIV was conducted on June 14, 2022.
Musa, who said that an estimated volume of eight barrels of crude was discharged into the environment, noted: “Unknown person (s) installed a flang at 12 O’clock position on the pipeline.
“Area of impact was outside the company’s right of way and inside right of way, vegetation was impacted and repair was effected.”
According to Musa, the second incident occurred on NAOC’s 6-inch Tuomo-Ogboinbiri pipeline at Ayamasa in Ekeremor LGA.
He noted: “At three different points, hacksaw cuts were observed at different positions on the pipeline. Also, wraps of different materials were used around the different cuts caused by unknown person (s).
“The second point was about 35 metres apart from the first point, while the third point was across a major River.”