Nigeria’s Aiteo, a Lagos-based international oil and gas company has reported an oil spill that is classified as “extremely high order” from one of its wells in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria.
The well, which is jointly owned by Aiteo and NNPC was found out to be leaking last Friday without a determined cause. Aiteo however did not rule out vandalism and oil theft as a possible cause of the massive leak. The company mentioned that the incident had been reported to regulators, and had mobilized specialists to close the leak. Aiteo has had to suspend immediate efforts to control the leak due to the pressure coming out of the well head.
Environmental Rights Action, a local environment group said the latest spill in Yenagoa, Bayelsa state was another incident that would have a highly negative impact on the marine ecosystem on which most fishing activities depend. The Niger Delta is a large maze of creek and mangrove swamps with cris-crosses of pipelines. However, the region is highly troubled by pollution, violence, corruption and poverty. The history of vandalism and oil theft in the Niger Delta is enough reason for Aiteo to consider that as a possible cause of the spill, even though the spill could have been caused by other factors.
Oil spills in Nigeria have had extremely catastrophic effects on areas whose people rely on creeks as the only water supply, and who focus on fishing and farming as their means of livelihood. The oil spills would make such water harmful to both crops and fish, causing them to die. It would also take away the people’s access to healthy water.
Aiteo spokesman Ndiana Matthew said that the well is part of assets that Aiteo purchased from Royal Dutch Shell back in 2015.
Alagoa Morris, Environmental Rights Action’s field officer in the Niger Delta castigated Aiteo, saying that regardless of the cause of the spill the company should have taken proper steps to ensure that the spill is cleaned up properly. This statement however does not take into consideration the problems which Nigerian oil companies have run into while trying to clean up oil spills in recent years. Sometimes, obstruction by local gangs looking to get massive pay-outs from the companies can hinder the cleaning process.
However, this is no excuse for Aiteo, as it is their responsibility to clean up after mishaps that bear the company name.