…Slams Aiteo/NNPC For Flimsy Excuses

By Abigail Enenyi

Group, Ijaw Diaspora Council, IDC, has demanded immediate compensation of at least $500,000 from Aiteo group and the NNPC to the over 40 communities impacted by the Santa Barbara South field, OML 29 oil and gas well blowout at Nembe Local Government Area of Bayelsa State.

The group said this amount should be used as initial response to the spill and getting them to gett some food stuffs as a way of survival in this trying time, stressing that it shouldn’t be counted as communities’ claim in the future.

A statement signed by Technical Advisor to the group, Prof Rick Steiner, a copy of which he made available to our correspondent electronically, decried the lackadaisical attitude of Aiteo, NNPC, and other responsible parties towards the OML 29 oil and gas well blow out.

Steiner, a Professor in Anchorage Alaska, USA, who has worked for decades on oil spill issues globally, including in the Niger Delta, raised the alarm that the spill caused by the blow-out has continued for over 15 days, releasing a minimum of 150,000 barrels of toxic hydrocarbons into environment, adding that the effects have been serious, extensive and long lasting.

“I estimate that the flow rate from the failed well is at least 10,000 barrels of toxic hydrocarbons (methane and crude oil) per day, and possibly twice that. Thus, after 15-20 days of continuous flow, the spill has already released a minimum of 150,000 barrels – 200,000 barrels of toxic hydrocarbons into the sensitive mangrove ecosystem in Nembe LGA, and possibly twice that much. Even by international standards, this constitutes a major hydrocarbon spill, and its impacts are likely to be serious, extensive and long lasting,” he laments.

Speaking further on the compensation, the Prof said, “This initial compensation will allow the community to purchase alternative food resources during the spill (as fish from the spill area are contaminated and must not be caught and consumed); purchase Personal Protective Equipment (PPE); and conduct its overall response to this emergency.”

Steiner, who debunked claims that the blow-out was caused by sabotage and that the environmental damage is minimal, further demanded that Aiteo/NNPC to immediately “kill the blow-out and retain the failed well head structure for independent analysis to determine the cause of the blow-out.”

He added that, “For Aiteo to assert that environmental damage will be minimal is equally unsupportable, as a credible, scientific environmental damage assessment has not been conducted. In my experience with such major spills in the Niger Delta and elsewhere, the damage will be serious, extensive, and long lasting. And the company’s claim that the hydrocarbon outflow is composed of 80% methane and 20% crude oil needs independent corroboration.”

The statement therefore called on the Federal Government to convene an independent inquiry to ascertain the cause, response, and impact of this major oil spill and likewise to prevent future occurrence.

It further recommended: “Aiteo/NNPC must immediately deploy sufficient oil spill containment and cleanup equipment and personnel to collect as much of the spilled hydrocarbon pollutant as possible, hiring local community members as possible. This is clearly a Tier III oil spill (the largest category), well beyond the capability of local cleanup assets such as Clean Nigeria Associates, and Aiteo/NNPC should contract Oil Spill Response Limited (OSRL) in Southampton UK to conduct a large-scale Tier III spill response.

“Aiteo/NNPC, Bayelsa State, and the federal government must agree to support a technical advisor for the Ijaw communities to join the official Joint Investigation Team (JIT).

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“Aiteo/NNPC must immediately commission an independent, scientific environmental damage assessment by a credible, independent scientific institution.

“Aiteo must preserve all evidence, including documents, video and photographs, and actual equipment (e.g. the failed Christmas Tree structure) that may be relevant to determining the cause of the wellhead failure and spill.

“Aiteo must provide the community with all records pertaining to this well, including its design and installation date, any/all inspection and maintenance the company has performed on the well, any deficiencies the company has noted, all corrective/remedial actions the company has taken on the well, etc.”