TheCable

Aiteo Eastern Exploration and Production Company (AEEPCO) says it has mobilised specialised technicians and equipment to contain an hydrocarbon wellhead leak in its Santa Barbara, south-west field, located in Nembe LGA, Bayelsa.

The spill started on November 5 and the well is still spewing oil.

In a statement issued on Sunday, Matthew Ndiana, Aiteo spokesperson, said an accurate cause of the leak has not been ascertained as attention has been focused on containing the consequences to forestall future occurrences.

Ndiana said the well, which the company acquired in 2015, had been mostly dormant, having been securely isolated since then.

He said aside from urgent possible technical responses to contain the leak, the company had sought the collaboration of Clean Nigeria Associates (CNA) which has since mobilised to site.

He said Aiteo has also deployed its internal resources to reinforce containment and recovery efforts.

“CNA is the industry non-profit umbrella body with expertise and resource to contain spills of this nature,” the statement reads.

“In the meantime, however, the area has been cordoned off and CNA is mobilising additional resources to strengthen the containment effort.

“Well killing assessment site visit has been carried out to evaluate the assets and earmark the resources required to bring the effusion under control.

“The required apparatus, including heavy duty and specialist equipment are presently being mobilised, locally and internationally, on a fast-track basis, to bring the well under control.

“For this purpose, Aiteo has on-boarded the involvement of the renowned, Boots & Coots, arguably the leading well control company in the world, working with a local resource.

“Upon this intervention and conclusion, it is expected that the persistence of the leak alongside its functional consequences will be abated and significantly diminished.”

Aiteo added that its senior personnel have also visited the affected communities and made available, for the use of the communities, relief materials aimed at ameliorating the direct consequences of the incident.

According to the company, the communities visited include Opu-Nembe Kingdom where the Aiteo delegation was received by Biobelemoye Josiah Ogbodo VIII, the king; his council of chiefs and all sections of the society.

During the visit, the statement quoted the monarch as saying: “We are happy that Aiteo has initiated this visit to support the community at this time and urge them to continue to work with us as partners in progress on its corporate goals in the community.”

On his part, Benedict Peters, Aiteo’s group chief executive officer, assured the communities that the company was doing everything in its power to contain the spill and ameliorate the situation as rapidly, safely and responsibly as possible.

“We have mobilised best-in-class resources and expertise to put this mishap behind us. Rest assured of our resolve to limit the escape of oil and protect the ecosystem from its effects,” the statement quoted Peters as saying.