Residents flee Bayelsa community over gas leaks from NPDC’s facility

Residents of Bendick Kiri in Okpoama Kingdom, Brass LGA of Bayelsa state, have fled the community over gas leaks from a facility.

According to NAN, the high-pressure discharge was from an idle well.

The non-producing well, Kurogbagba 1, located within oil mining lease (OML) 66, is said to be operated by the Nigerian Petroleum Development Company (NPDC). 

Officials of the National Spills Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA) were said to have visited the site with representatives of the operating firm.

Monday Okon, a resident and leader of fishermen in Bendick Kiri, said the leak, which was noticed three days earlier, was yet to stop as at Thursday.

Okon said residents in the predominantly fishing settlement had fled due to safety concerns as fire is used to dry fish.

He said the toxic smell of the gaseous discharge had also exposed the people to danger, hence their decision to flee.

“We are afraid the place will be engulfed in flames because we are very close to the oil well,” the fisherman said. 

“If we catch fish, we can’t dry them due to the risk of fire. I am here because the community asked me to stay nearby and keep an eye on the area to avoid strange people coming to tamper with our valuables.

“Our fishing gear, accessories as well as processed fish and other property are precious to us; that is why I am keeping a tab from a safe distance.” 

Okon said although this was the third occurrence of the incident, the current leak was larger in magnitude and pressure.

The fisherman said in May, the abandoned well had leaked and was contained before it blew out again on October 20.

On his part, Tarinyo Akono, a former chairperson of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Bayelsa state, who visited the leak site, described the well blow as intense and extremely dangerous for the people and the environment.

“I was there in May this year when there was a blowout. I was there and now this sad occurrence. The livelihood of the people has been abruptly hampered,” Akono said. 

“I have called on the NPDC to do something about these wells and there are over 50 of them, to no avail.”

In September 2022, the NPDC had recorded a similar gas leak from its facility in Sangama community in Bonny LGA of Rivers state.