- The cause of the incident is not yet known
The Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) on Saturday said a fire incident has been reported on Akaso 4 Wellhead operated by Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Eighteen Operating Limited.
The NUPRC Head of Public Affairs and Corporate Communications, Laide Shonola, disclosed this in a statement on Saturday.
According to the statement, the incident which has extended along the adjacent riverbank is reported to have occurred on 2 August at about 11:12 p.m.
“NNPC 18 Operating Limited has confirmed that a rapid response emergency team has been deployed to secure the well, address the incident and isolate the affected area using spill containment materials to prevent further spread and contamination of the environment.
“They are also planning to start the oil recovery process immediately. The company has deployed a Naval Houseboat within the incident area and established community surveillance to monitor the situation,” the statement said.
It explained that the cause of the incident is not yet known.
Meanwhile, the commission said a joint investigation with relevant stakeholders is being planned to determine the cause and the area of impact.
“It’s important to note that the Akaso Well 4 has been out of operation for a significant period of time. As a reminder, the fire at the company’s Alakiri Well 9T, which started on 23 February 2024, is still raging,” it said.
The NUPRC explained that the contractor engaged to deal with the situation, Kenyon International West Africa Company, is facing some challenges in putting out the fire.