NNPC in frantic rush to contain Akaso wellhead fire outbreak
The Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) has reported a fire incident on Akaso 4 Wellhead, operated by the NNPC 18 Operating Limited.
NUPRC’s spokeswoman, Olaide Shonola, announced this in a statement on Saturday.
Ms Shonola said the NNPC 18 Operating Limited had deployed a rapid response emergency team to contain the fire outbreak on Friday at 11:12 p.m.
The Akaso well is in OML 18 (former Eroton). It is an offshore well in Rivers.
“The incident which has extended along the adjacent riverbank is reported to have occurred on August 2. The company has confirmed that a rapid response emergency team has been deployed to secure the well, address the incident and isolate affected area.
“The team will be using spill containment materials to prevent further spread and contamination of the environment. They are also planning to start the oil recovery process immediately,” she said.
Ms Shonola said the company had also deployed a Naval Houseboat within the incident area and established community surveillance to monitor the situation.
She said that though the cause of the incident was not yet known, a joint investigation with relevant stakeholders was being planned to determine the cause and the area of impact.
“It is important to note that the Akaso Well 4 has been out of operation for a significant period of time. As a reminder, the fire at the company’s Alakiri Well 9T, which started on February 23, 2024, is still raging.
“The contractor engaged to deal with the situation, Kenyon International West Africa Company, is facing some challenges in putting out the fire,” she said.
She further said that NUPRC was planning to deploy the total oxygen extraction method instead of the current heat extraction method.
According to her, the equipment fabrication is 100 per cent complete, and the contractor is awaiting mobilisation from the well owners while contractor personnel are monitoring the incident on-site.
She said that a meeting with the management of NNPC 18 Operating Limited has been planned to review the safety and integrity of its operations.
(NAN)
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