Agip’s host community reopens shut oil wells in Bayelsa

The community wants Agip to their mutual agreement.

The Communities hosting the Nigerian Agip Oil Company, NAOC, operation at Biseni in Yenagoa Local Government Area of Bayelsa have re-opened five oil wells earlier shut down in the Idu Oil Fields.

The oil wells were shut over Agip’s non-fulfilment of community development obligations to its host communities.

The Secretary of Egbebiri II community, Solomon Ogiama, said on Thursday that oil wells 3, 6, 8, 11 and 12, earlier shut down and put out of production by youth of the area, were reopened on Wednesday evening.

He said that the access road to the facilities was also cleared of blockades mounted by the youth, following assurances in a meeting with officials of the company in Port Harcourt.

Mr. Ogiama said that the community had resolved to give peace a chance, to show its readiness to provide a peaceful environment for the oil firm to operate while it expected Agip to honour its agreements with the community.

“Representatives of our communities have resolved to shift ground following a meeting with Agip officials on Wednesday in Port Harcourt; we have reached an agreement with them.

We have reopened the wells and expect them to reciprocate by implementing their obligations in the existing MoU they have with us; that is what we want,” he said.

On Wednesday, Filipo Cotalini, the Media Relations Office Manager at Eni, which operates in Nigeria as NAOC, said the Italian energy firm was investigating the incident.

Mr. Cotalini said the firm would issue a statement in due course.

Checks at the oil fields on Thursday indicated that the youth who sacked the oil workers and kept vigil at the faculties had pulled out.

(NAN)