Jude Diugwu
A fire incident has been reported at the Akaso 4 wellhead reportedly operated by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd)
This was disclosed in a statement by the Head of Public Affairs at the Nigerian Nigerian Upstream Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), Olaide Shonola.
She said the fire occurred on Friday and added that the fire extended along the adjacent riverbank in the area.
According to her, the cause of the fire was not yet known, though the oil facility had been out of operation for a long time.
She added a joint investigation with relevant stakeholders was being planned to determine the cause of the fire and the extent of impact.
Shonola said: “NNPC 18 Operating Limited has confirmed that a rapid response emergency team has been deployed to secure the well, address the incident and isolate the affected area using spill containment materials to prevent further spread and contamination of the environment.
“They are also planning to start the oil recovery process immediately.
“The company has deployed a Naval Houseboat within the incident area and established community surveillance to monitor the situation.
“The cause of the incident is not yet known. Meanwhile, a joint investigation with relevant stakeholders is being planned to determine the cause and the area of impact.
“It’s important to note that the Akaso Well 4 has been out of operation for a significant period of time.
“As a reminder, the fire at the company’s Alakiri Well 9T, which started on February 23, 2024, is still raging. The contractor engaged to deal with the situation, Kenyon International West Africa Company, is facing some challenges in putting out the fire.
“They are now planning to deploy the total oxygen extraction method instead of the heat extraction method currently being deployed.”
She added: “The equipment fabrication is 100% complete and the contractor is awaiting mobilisation from the well owners. Contractor personnel are on-site monitoring the incident.
“A meeting with the management of NNPC 18 Operating Limited is planned to review the safety and integrity of its operations.
“We will provide further updates on the incident as soon as they are available.”
