Nigeria
fishing community in Bayelsa is rocked by explosion
Bendick-Kiri in Okpoama Kingdom, Brass Local Government Area, Bayelsa State, has reported an explosion.
The leak happened on October 20, 2023, and it was leaking a lot of oil and gas materials into the stream fishing villages’ surroundings. This information was found out on Wednesday.
The oil well, which is owned by the Nigerian Petroleum Development Company, is said to be in OML 66, also referred to as “Kurogbagba 1” in the documents.
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Even though the oil well was allegedly leaking in May of this year, fishermen have since left the affected area.
Strong pressure pushing the gas and oil out of the wellhead causes a hissing sound, which can be heard in a 14-second video of the leak.
If the leaking point is not clamped, there is concern that the roughly six-day-long incident could spread petrol and oil chemicals widely into the marine environment and possibly result in a fire.
According to reports, Monday Okon, the leader of the fishermen in Bendick-Kiri and a native of Akwa Ibom State, said that everyone had fled due to the smell of petrol and oil as well as concern about a potential fire.
Due to our proximity to the oil well, we are concerned that the area may catch fire. It is impossible to dry fish that we capture. The community asked me to stay close by and let them know when visitors arrive, so that’s why I’m here.”
While the prior incidents were not as severe as the current one, Okon stated that this was the third blowout that would occur.
The wellhead blowout was characterised as “intense and extremely dangerous” for the environment and for people by Tarinyo Akono, a former chairman of the Nigeria Union of Journalists and Bayelsa State Council, who also spoke at the scene on Monday.
“This sad incident happened and I was there in May of this year,” he remarked. They have had their way of life cut short. I have requested that the NPDC take action on these wells, as there are more than fifty of them.