Experts trace earth tremors in Niger Delta communities on oil exploration

Experts trace earth tremors in Niger Delta communities on oil exploration

Some experts have traced recurring incidents of earth tremor in Bayelsa and Rivers communities in July and August to indiscriminate seismic activities of oil firms in search for oil reserves.

An environmentalist, Mr Alagoa Morris, on Thursday attributed reported cases of earth tremor in Bayelsa and Rivers communities to increased use of explosives by oil and gas exploring firms.

Morris, an official of the Environmental Rights Action/Friends of the Earth Nigeria (ERA/FoEN), an NGO in Bayelsa, disclosed this  on Thursday.

Communities in Rivers and Bayelsa around oil fields operated by Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) in July and August experiencing vibrations described as earth tremor.

Some of the affected areas visited after the incident occurred for the second time in August include Igbogene and Akenfa in Bayelsa.

It also occurred in Akinima, Oruama, One Man Country and Mbiama in Rivers.
Morris said that such an occurrence was last recorded two years ago in Freetown, and Ikarama 1 and 2 in Okordia clan in Yenagoa Local Government Area, Bayelsa.

He called for an investigation by a relevant panel of experts to quantify and analyse the risks posed to the environment and residents in the affected areas.

He said that the Health, Safety and Environmental Standards in the oil fields were often ignored by the oil industry operators, leading to frequent accidents that claim human lives.

“I can recall that within the past one year, 17 people have died in explosions within oil fields operated by one company alone.

“That speaks volumes of the safety standards and records of International Oil Companies (IOCs) operating in Bayelsa,” Morris said.

Residents of the areas also called on government and relevant agencies to look into the incident with a view to ascertaining the real cause and prevent future occurrences to avert any disaster.

Meanwhile, the Bayelsa State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) said it was still planning to go for an assessment of the areas affected by the recent tremors.

A SEMA Director, Mr Angus Lugard, told NAN that the incident was worrisome.

Lugard explained that SEMA had not been able to assess the situation for lack of funds.

“SEMA is aware of the incidents and we have planned to commence assessment on the affected area.

“SEMA is responsible for emergency management, we need support from both public and private sectors to enable us function effectively,” he said.

On likely cause of the incident, Lugard attributed it to oil exploration and production activities by multinational companies operating near the affected communities.

Also speaking, Dr Tamunu Ebipadei, Senior Lecturer, Department of Geography and Environmental Management, Niger Delta University (NDU), said there are two main causes of earth tremors.

“Firstly, earth tremors can be linked to use of explosives which leads to volcanic eruptions; they are in fact very common in areas of volcanic activity like the oil and gas sector due to use of explosives.

“The search for oil depends largely on use of dynamites and other explosives, which accompanies eruptions in seismic activities.

“Secondly, earth tremors can be triggered by tectonic activity associated with plate margins and faults.

“You find that in the Pacific region, that part of the world is the most seismically and volcanically active zone.

“So for this second type, the country stands a slim chance by nature of our geography in the world,’’ Ebipadei said.

He noted that earth tremors could also occurred prior to earthquake in an area.

Ebipadei regretted that uncontrolled and indiscriminate seismic data acquisition often embarked on by oil firms to discover oil reserves posed a threat to the oil-rich Niger Delta region.

He advised government to prevail on oil companies to stop using explosives that could cause earth tremors.

The don added that these companies should ensure that their operations were carried out in an environmentally sustainable manner.

Mr Precious Okolobo, the SPDC Media Relations Manager, declined comments on the development as well as on the concerns of experts and residents near the company’s operations.