After days of waiting, Aiteo Eastern Exploration Company (AEEPCO) yesterday succeeded in mobilising heavy equipment to the site of the Santa Barbara wellhead leak in Nembe, Bayelsa state, in what it described as a “well kill” operation.

AEEPCO, operator of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation/Aiteo Joint Venture (JV), Oil Mining Lease (OML) 29, had on Friday, November 5, 2021, reported a hydrocarbon wellhead leak on the facility.

Aiteo stated that the well, which the company acquired in 2015, had been mostly dormant and had been securely isolated since then, adding that the leak was a high pressure one and therefore needed international support.

Last Saturday, it disclosed that it was working with both foreign and local experts to curtail the oil leakage, stressing that it had also sent relief materials to the affected communities.

The company had earlier mobilised its internal resources as well as collaborate with Clean Nigeria Associates (CNA) in an attempt to halt the leak which is said to comprise about 20 per cent oil and 80 per cent gas.

But Flavision learnt last night that the company had as of last night fully mobilised to the site and had reinforced its efforts to put an end to the saga.

Videos of the operation sighted by Flavision indicated that while the “well kill” operation was going on, several barges carrying cranes and other equipment were on their way to the location to begin recovery of the hydrocarbons.

These are pumping and stimulation equipment loaded with calcium fluoride for the well kill operation. To minimise down time, what we are doing is to make arrange all key lines. We have begun work already. By the time this barges get there, the leak must have been arrested.

So, it’s just for us to hook up the lines and the hoses into the well. We have cranes and at least three barges and with these, the spill will be contained in no time,

a source said.

On Wednesday, President Muhammadu Buhari, had detailed the Minister of State, Petroleum, Mr Timipre Sylva, to visit the scene and get a first-hand account of what transpired, assuring the people that every thing was being done to halt the leak and embark on clean-up.

Justin Nwosu

Justin Nwosu is the founder and publisher of Flavision. His core interest is in writing unbiased news about Nigeria in particular and Africa in general. He’s a strong adherent of investigative journalism, with a bent on exposing corruption, abuse of power and societal ills.