OML 18 has a production capacity of over 50,000 barrels of oil per day (bpd). It also has significant gas reserves, contributing to Nigeria’s domestic gas supply and export markets.
The senate has called on the National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA) to immediately investigate the cause of the fire outbreak and oil spill from Manifold Well 8/ BUG 008 in Oil Mining Lease (OML) 18, Bukuma (Agum) in Rivers State.
This is as it urged the agency to submit a detailed report to the senate within four weeks.
It equally urged the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) to take immediate and decisive action in response to the fire outbreak in line with its corporate social responsibility and commitment to environmental safety, by deploying emergency response teams to assess the impact of the disaster and provide necessary remediation measures to support the affected communities.
These resolutions followed the adoption of a motion presented during Thursday’s plenary, highlighting the urgent need to mitigate the effects of the incident. Leading the debate, Sen. Harry Banigo (PDP, Rivers west) expressed deep concern over the environmental destruction, displacement of residents, and health hazards caused by the spill and fire. She warned of the long-term consequences, including contaminated water sources, destruction of farmlands, and harm to aquatic life, which serve as the primary livelihood for communities in Buguma ASALGA, Ifoko ASALGA, and Bukuma (Agum) in Degema.
She said: “The pollutants released pose significant health risks, including respiratory and waterborne diseases, and long-term effects such as cancer and organ damage, thereby escalating the public health crisis in the region.
“The delayed response of responsible oil companies and regulatory bodies exacerbates the suffering of affected communities and undermines public trust in the enforcement of environmental laws,” she noted.
In his contribution, Sen. Yahaya Abdullahi (PDP, Kebbi north), who is a former Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs, attributed the recurrent environmental disasters in the Niger Delta to poorly planned oil exploration infrastructure. He argued that, while sabotage remains a factor, the lack of proper environmental surveys during the initial development of oil fields had led to chaotic and hazardous conditions.
He said: “In fact, at the beginning, Shell and other corporations were disallowed to lay pipes to their own economic convenience without regard for any environmental survey to make sure that certain areas and specified designated areas where pipelines and flow stations should be located.
“There was a hodgepodge of oil wells, spill areas, oil pipelines, everywhere so anything can happen.
“Now, the issue before us, is that this country has to come to terms with the reality of the destruction that is coming in the way of offshore Nigerian oil drilling and oil transportation and in that way, there must be a proper survey in order to make sure that we have a complete reorientation and reconstruction of oil development infrastructure in this country,” he added.
Abdullahi urged the government to recognise the severe environmental cost borne by Niger Delta communities, adding that outdated pipelines must be removed and replaced.
“The people of Niger Delta have paid the price of Nigerian oil industry with their lives and their health. It is not late now. The government has to come to do something about the health of those communities and the possibilities of fire coming out everywhere. Those old pipelines must be removed.”
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On her part, Sen. Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan (PDP, Kogi central) called for the establishment of fire stations across all districts to enable faster responses to such disasters.
Following a robust debate, the senate resolved to urge the Ecological Project Management Committee (EMC) to deploy the intervention fund, National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) to alleviate the multifarious ecological challenges within the affected areas, including the loss of livelihoods, health issues, and social and environmental damages caused by this spillage.
It also mandated the committees on Environment, Petroleum Resources (Upstream) and any other relevant committee to assess the compliance of the operators of Manifold Well 8/ BUG 008 in OML 18 Bukuma (Agum) Rivers State, with the provisions of the EIA Act and other relevant laws, to recommend appropriate actions, including shutting down the affected well, commence immediate clean up and full environmental remediation of the affected areas.
It further urged the federal government to declare a national emergency programme for the rebuilding, rehabilitation and recalibration of the national oil, onshore oil wells, flow stations and pipeline infrastructure in Nigeria, with a view to renewing the infrastructure of Nigeria’s oil industry.
Parliament Reports recalls the Niger Delta region has long been plagued by recurrent oil spills and fire outbreaks, leading to severe environmental degradation and adverse impacts on local communities. These incidents often stem from a combination of factors, including lapses in safety protocols, outdated, and deterioration of pipelines and equipment, sabotage, and inadequate enforcement of environmental laws governing oil exploration activities.
OML 18 and Recurrent Oil Spills
The Oil Mining Lease (OML) 18 is a large oil block located towards the south of Port Harcourt, Rivers state, and contains 11 oil and gas fields. It is a significant asset within Nigeria’s petroleum industry, producing both crude oil and natural gas.
OML 18 has a production capacity of over 50,000 barrels of oil per day (bpd). It also has significant gas reserves, contributing to Nigeria’s domestic gas supply and export markets.
Previously operated by Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC), it is now managed by NNPCL Eighteen Operating Limited, which took over from Eroton Exploration & Production Limited in 2023.
Recorded Incidents
1. January 2025: A significant oil spill occurred at Well 8 in OML 18, operated by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL). The spill led to a massive fire, causing extensive environmental damage and disrupting economic activities in the surrounding communities.
2. June 2022: An oil wellhead leak was reported at OML 18, operated by Eroton Exploration and Production Limited. Residents noted that the facility had been discharging oil and gas into the coastal environment for about a week before the leak was confirmed.
3. January 2023: A fire incident, suspected to be caused by oil thieves, engulfed the Akaso 15L wellhead at OML 18. The fire burned for several days, discharging oil and gas into the ecosystem before it was extinguished in early February 2023.
STAR Check: Nigerians, particularly, constituents of Rivers West district, can keep tabs on the legislative performance of Sen. Banigo throughout the 10th senate here.
