BY Bunmi Aduloju
The Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) has reported a crude oil spill incident that occurred during loading operations in Egina Floating Production Storage and Offloading (FPSO).
NIMASA said the incident occurred on November 15, 2023, at the 220,000 metric tons FPSO facility — operated by TotalEnergies — in Port Harcourt, Rivers state.
The incident was confirmed on Thursday, in a statement by Edward Osagie, head of public relations at NIMASA.
The agency said it is collaborating with the National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA) and Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) from the crisis management room (CMR) on the incident.
NIMASA said it is using an oil spill monitoring software from the emergency response centre to monitor the incident in real-time, adding that the volume is not yet confirmed.
TotalEnergies, according to NIMASA, is also conducting aircraft surveillance and applying dispersant while evaluating additional action to clean up the incident.
Bashir Jamoh, director-general of NIMASA, assured that the agency collaborating with all stakeholders to control the pollution.
“Since the incident happened, our men have been liaising with other organs of government to ensure the pollution is effectively controlled and managed, to protect the marine environment and the communities close to the incident point,” he said.
“Accidents do happen, it’s what we do thereafter that matters and I believe that the IOC Total, working with NIMASA, NUPRC, NOSDRA and collaborating with international service providers, will surely ensure proper management of the spill.”
In March 2023, 12 persons died after an explosion rocked a crude oil tapping point in Rumuekpe community in Emuoha local government area of Rivers state.
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