Oil spillage: Riverine communities urged to await JTF report

By Tola Gbadamosi
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The Chairman Host Community Committee, Ororo field, Mr Jide Nana has revealed that the uprising in the riverine was as a result of huge gas leakage at the offshore field.

Speaking with The Hope Metro in an exclusive interview, Nana appealed to the people not to lose hope as they await the outcome of the Joint Inspection visit over the gas leakage at the Ororo offshore located in OML 95.

Nana who visited the place said the well had been abandoned by Chevron a long time ago during former president Olusegun Obasanjos regime.

The IOSI described the well as non economically viable. Then, it was giving maximum of 2000 barrels per day. They were forced to sell the wells. One of the oil fields belonging to the indigenous companies and the Guarantee Petroleum was shut down.

According to him, there was leakage of gas from the well after it has been blocked with over 800 meters of concrete. This means there is now excess of gas in the well.

He stated that the oil  field was sold to Ondo State and the Guaranteed Petroleum, as the state has about 45 percent, while the Guarantee Petroleum has 55. As at that time, the government was not ready to finance the project. So, a technical partner was introduced.

And due to the running out of the timeline from the Federal Government, Rock Mountain oil company took over, but could not beat the expiry date and the license was revoked three months after. It takes about 500 million naira to restore any revoked license and we were not ready to go through that.

We were told the well has a very high pressure and it takes about eight weeks to remove the 800 Fight concrete at the verge of removing it, the chemical got finished. Between the period of bringing another chemical from Warri or Port Harcourt, the gas leakage started. It is not crews oil leakage. But a gas leakage. They can not continue because Federal government has taken their license and work can not continue on the field.

Nana explained that there is a soil like this under the law, We need to contact the JIV and the report of the result is not yet out. It is more different because it is an offshore soil and the people from Rivers state have contacted us that it has gotten to them. This is because Ondo State share a common ground with the state on the high sea.

He, therefore pleaded with the people to take things easy and be calm, saying,  it is not deliberate. Let us see how we can manage the situation.

He said the companies, have done well for the community, and they have very serious plans for the community.