Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja
Nigeria’s Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) said on Saturday that the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC) reported a fire in one of the wells operated through one of its units, NNPC 18 Operating Limited.
In a document signed through Olaide Shonola, head of public affairs and corporate communications at the NUPRC, the commission said the NNPC had already deployed an immediate reaction team to combat the spill.
“A fire has been reported at the Akaso four wellhead operated through NNPC 18 Operating Limited. The incident, which occurred along the adjacent riverbank, is believed to have occurred on August 2, 2024 at approximately 11:12 p. m.
“NNPC 18 Operating Limited has demonstrated that an immediate reaction emergency team has been deployed to protect the well, the incident and isolate the affected domain using spill containment materials.
“This is to prevent further spread and pollution of the environment. They also plan to start the oil recovery process,” NUPRC added.
Specifically, the industry regulator said the company had deployed a naval barge to the scene of the incident and had set up a tracking network to monitor the situation.
The cause of the incident is not yet known, the commission said, but added that a joint investigation with relevant stakeholders was planned to determine the cause and domain of impact.
However, the NUPRC added that it was vital to note that the Akaso four well had been out of service for a significant period of time.
In addition, the NUPRC said that the fire at the company’s Alakiri 9T well, which started on February 23, 2024, is still burning.
The contractor hired to deal with the situation, Kenyon International West Africa Company, he said, had difficulty putting out the fire.
“They are now considering implementing the general oxygen extraction method of the recently implemented heat extraction method. The production of the device is one hundred percent complete and the contractor is awaiting the mobilization of the well owners. The contractor’s workforce is on site to monitor the incident.
“A meeting is scheduled under the control of NNPC 18 Operating Limited to review the security and integrity of its operations. We will provide additional updates on the incident as they become available,” the upstream regulator said.
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