Bayelsa Communities Decry Oil Spill At Conoil Well

Fishermen living in the riverine communities Koluama clan in the Southern Ijaw Local Government Area of Bayelsa State have expressed concerns over fresh oil spill at the Oil Mining Lease (OML) 59 operated by Conoil Producing Limited.

The platform is located around the Angofield near Tamazu settlements in the Koluama Clan.

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Locals told journalists that the devastating spill occurred from the indigenous oil firm’s wellhead 1 on January 30 that was spewing crude oil in gaseous form from an elbow of a pipeline linked directly to the Ango wellhead 1 where crude oil and gas leaked till February 2 when a team from Conoil mobilised to stop the spill.

It was gathered that before the team arrived at the spill site, the spilt crude oil had done serious harm to the environment and flowed into the marine environment of the fishing settlements in the area on the fringes of the Atlantic Ocean.

Chairman of Koluama clan oil and gas committee, Jonathan Amabebe, and the Tamazu Community Development Committee (CDC) chairman, Ebibotei Kerimama, who confirmed the incident, lamented the devastation caused by the spill.

They stated that the spill was being spread by the tidal ebb of the river.

They explained that residents were seriously agitated over the pollution caused by the spill because of its impact on their health and livelihood.

Amabebe said, “A similar incident occurred last December (2021).

“Even then Conoil did nothing positive concerning that by way of reaction. This one has happened again and it really spread in the environment but they have used dispersants, chemicals to dissolve or sink the crude oil in the water.”

“However, they couldn’t succeed in silencing the environment as the vegetation at the banks of the river tells their story of pollution.

“There are visible crude oil and soiled oily leaves.”

He called for the conduct of a medical check-up for the community whose inhabitants have been inhaling the stench of spilt crude and gas.

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