PORT HARCOURT, Nigeria, Jan 4 – The K-Dere community in Gokana Local Government Area of Rivers State has reported an oil spillage, according to the Youths and Environmental Advocacy Centre, YEAC-Nigeria, utilizing its Crude Oil Spill Alert System (COSAS). The incident occurred on January 3, 2024, on the PPMC pipeline responsible for transporting crude to the Port Harcourt Refinery.
While the community attributes the spillage to equipment failure, the National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency, NOSDRA, is yet to conduct a Joint Investigation Visit (JIV). The spill reportedly took place on a previously ruptured section of the pipeline, which had spilled crude into the community approximately 17 years ago. Although repaired at the time, the affected area was not properly clamped.
YEAC-Nigeria reported that the K-Dere community has prevented the PPMC from addressing the spill point until NOSDRA conducts a JIV. In the meantime, the company has employed a temporary solution, using a cement barricade to halt the spill, enabling the continued transportation of crude for the Port Harcourt refinery’s test run. Permanent repairs are pending, subject to meeting necessary requirements.
Fyneface Dumnamene Fyneface, the Executive Director of YEAC-Nigeria, issued a statement urging NOSDRA to promptly conduct a JIV on the facility. He emphasized the importance of determining the spill’s cause and invoking relevant sections of the Petroleum Industry Act (2021) in response to the circumstances.
