Oil and gas companies operating in the Niger Delta that will seek to subvert the Petroleum Industry Act by not dealing with host communities individually will have to pay for their actions the hard way.
Bayan-Men, a nascent militant group in Nigeria’s vastly polluted oil and gas region, has taken on an Italian oil major’s subsidiary, Nigeria Agip Oil Company (NAOC), and blew up its oil facility in Ogba-Egbema-Andoni Local Government Area of Rivers State as a warning signal to oil firms that are underrating them.
This is coming as Aiteo Eastern Exploration and Production is seeking foreign technical expertise to contain the ongoing oil spill at an oilfield it operates in Nembe, Bayelsa State.
The oil leak started November 5, and is defying all attempts by local experts to contain it. In a statement by its Spokesman, Mathew Ndianabasi, the oil firm notes that it has intensified its response by seeking the assistance of other oil and gas exploration firms in the response to the spill.
The statement is a sequel to a reaction by Governor Douye Diri of Bayelsa who criticized the pace of response and inability of the oil firm to halt the leak after more than two weeks and continued pollution of Nembe creek and farmlands.
Diri warned the oil company to be ready for the consequences of neglecting the negative impact of the incident believed to have been caused by equipment failure as his administration remained committed to defending the welfare of impacted residents.
Officials of the indigenous company has visited the leadership of the impacted communities to show empathy with the victims and handed over four truckloads of food items, medical supplies and N5 million cash while it battled to stop the leak.
Aiteo is an indigenous oil company that acquired the Oil Mining Lease (OML) 29 following the 2015 divestment by the Anglo-Dutch oil and gas major, Shell. It maintains that the leak was caused by sabotage by oil thieves who have become an obstacle to oil production and export from the asset.
OML 29 acquired for about $2.4 billion consists of the 97 kilometer Nembe Creek Trunk Line which evacuates crude from onshore oil wells within the oil bloc and other operators to Bonny Export Terminal.
“Though spills of this nature are not uncommon to the oil and gas industry, their resolution requires expert skill and equipment that are not routinely or readily available. The typical process is to first kill the well and stop the leak and then focus on the clean-up besides urgent possible technical responses to contain the leak.
“Aiteo has sought, become involved with and is now in active collaboration with Clean Nigeria Associates (CNA) that have since mobilised to site, in addition to Aiteo internal resources to reinforce containment and recovery efforts.
“CNA is the industry non-profit umbrella body with expertise and resources to contain spills of this nature. In the meantime, however, the area has been cordoned off and CNA is mobilizing additional resources to strengthen the containment effort.
“The required apparatus including heavy duty and specialist equipment are presently being mobilized, 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 resources
“Upon this intervention and conclusion, it is expected that the persistence of the leak alongside its functional consequences will be abated and significantly diminished”, the company said.
However, the aggrieved militants said they blew up the OB5 oil well, (Obiavu-5) operated by Agip following an alleged failure of the oil company to deal directly with their host communities.
There has been panic in the area following the renewed attack on oil facilities owned by Agip in Omoku by the new militia group who said their interest was better to deal for their people.
Commander of Bayan-Men noted in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital that their action was because the firm has refused to allow the people to benefit from their operation in the area, adding that the firm was neck-deep in divide and rule.
“The only thing we want Agip to do is to deal directly with the 27 communities of Omoku, according to the Federal Government resolution. We don’t want Agip to be negotiating with anybody. They should deal with the communities. If they continue like this, what we have done now is small to what we will do if they continue.
“They should not keep us together and treat us like one. They should treat communities individually. We are not joking. We are not interested in killing anybody. Our interest is that they must do the right thing else we will keep blowing up their facilities. We are giving them 24 hours to start the process of doing the right thing”, the militants chief said.
Confirming the development, the Coordinator-General of Omoku Community Youth Leaders Forum, Ekeuku Pureheart, said the development was a result of the failure of Agip to adhere to the demands of the people.
Pureheart noted that the matter was simply for Agip to recognize the various communities that make up Omoku, adding that the boys were threatening to carry out more attacks if Agip does not do the right thing, adding “the Federal Government intervened a long time ago. Now some uncontrollable boys and some militia groups have blown up Agip oil well, OB5. Obiavu-5 is the name of the oil well.
“The boys are still threatening that if Agip does not engage directly with the communities of Omoku and give them what is due them that they will do more.
“We are calling on the Federal Government and other relevant agencies to intervene before things get out of hand. This may cause a drop in production. The government does not need any situation that will result in to further drop in production to occur.
“The group is saying enough is enough. Agip is working with a few individuals in Omoku to oppress the people and the boys are saying they will no longer take that’’, noting that till Monday, Agip was still struggling to put out the ravaging fire on the facility.
Pureheart: “Agip is already there trying to bring down the flame. They are there with firefighters to bring the fire under control.
“The group is saying that Agip should deal with communities individually that is what the law provides. Omoku is a cluster of communities. And the law says when you reach any land treat them differently and give them what is due them.”
“They should adhere to FG resolution of February 27th, 2021, and that agreement must be implemented in line with the Petroleum Industry Act. We are urging the FG to stop up to ensure that the agreement is implemented in full.”
