SPDC, host community differ on cause of oil leak at Bisenim oilfields in Bayelsa

SPDC, host community differ on cause of oil leak at Bisenim oilfields in Bayelsa



The cause of an oil spill at Tambiri I and II in Tein community in Biseni, Yenagoa Local Government Area, Bayelsa has sparked off a disagreement between residents and the oil firm operating at the oil fields.

It was gathered that the oil spill incident at an oilfield operated by Shell Petroleum Develppment Company (SPDC) occured on August 11, 2017.

Community sources said on Tuesday that unascertained volume of crude leaked from the oil facility, polluting and impacted the environment of Biseni people who are mainly farmers and fishermen.

An official of Tambiri II Community Development Committee, Clinton Beworu Amaorum said  that the oil spill was caused by equipment failure and has leaked into one of the big Lakes  in the area which supports their fishing occupation.

 "The oil leak discharge very high volume of crude oil into the environment, it is difficult to estimate the volume of oil discharge because the spill occured about one month ago and we hoped that a joint visit to the site with regulators and SPDC will arrive at an estimate.

"Unfortunately the Joint Investigative Visit (JIV) has not taken place as far as we know because it was inconclusive and ended in a stalemate.

"The things that have been affected are aquatic lives, our ponds, Lakes, farmlands, and economic trees. These are some of the things the oil spillage has affected’’, Amaorum said.

Amaorum explained that some representatives of the SPDC and regulators visited the impacted site few days after the incident but engaged in an argument over whether the leakage was due to equipment failure or sabotage.

SPDC officials had maintained that the spill incident  occurred from a well that has not been producing.

Precious Okolobo, SPDC's Media Relations Manager in a statement confirming the leakage said the company started recovery of spilled oil the day after the incident happened but it was disrupted by community people.



"During a joint investigation visit to the impacted area from August 13 to 17 "it was clear that unknown persons had tampered with the well valve.

 "The JIV report has yet to be signed off. The community people have now agreed that SPDC should resume the recovery of spilled oil.

"SPDC will continue to operate with a high sense of responsibility for humans and the environment", Okolobo stated.