The Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) says preliminary assessments have shown that the first aquifer in Bille Community, Degema Local Government Area of Rivers State, has been contaminated following the prolonged toxic gas leak that has affected the area for nearly a year.
In a statement issued on Thursday, NUPRC said its Chief Executive, Oritsemeyiwa Eyesan, disclosed this on Wednesday during a joint visit to the affected community by a Federal Government delegation led by the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Gas), Ekperikpe Ekpo.
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The delegation, which included officials of the Rivers State Government and oil and gas operators, first paid a courtesy visit to the Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, before proceeding to Bille Community.
During the visit, NUPRC said the Federal Government delivered relief materials to residents and pledged immediate humanitarian assistance, including potable water, medical outreach, firefighting equipment and support for electricity supply, while promising a lasting solution to the environmental crisis.
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Speaking during the visit, Mrs Eyesan said the commission had carried out preliminary investigations into the source of the gas seepage but was taking a cautious approach to prevent further hazards before any intervention.
“We have carried out preliminary investigations. However, we are carefully managing the situation to prevent further hazards before any intervention. We have engaged an international firm to undertake the final studies, with fieldwork expected to commence before the end of July,” she said.
She said technical experts from across the oil and gas industry were working with the commission to determine the source of the seepage and assured residents that regular updates would be provided as the investigation progresses.
First aquifer contaminated
Speaking on the immediate impact of the incident, Mrs Eyesan disclosed that preliminary findings indicate that the community’s first aquifer has already been contaminated.
An aquifer is an underground, water-bearing layer of permeable rock, sand, gravel, or silt that holds and transmits usable quantities of groundwater.
“Our assessment indicates that the first aquifer has been contaminated, and while we work towards a sustainable long-term solution, we will provide potable water as quickly as possible,” she said.
The disclosure marks the clearest official acknowledgment yet of groundwater contamination resulting from the prolonged gas seepage in the oil-producing community.
The acknowledgement by the commission comes less than a month after a PREMIUM TIMES investigation published on 15 June, revealed how a toxic gas eruption across several spots in Bille is disrupting lives and livelihoods of the community members for almost a year.
During a visit to the community, this newspaper observed multiple spots on the river surface where gas appeared to be escaping continuously.
Water bubbled intensely, resembling boiling liquid. Nearby signposts indicated the presence of high-pressure gas pipelines transporting crude oil and natural gas.
Bille houses Oil Mining Lease (OML) 18, a major onshore oil and gas block in the eastern Niger Delta covering approximately 1,035 square kilometres and containing several oil and gas fields, including Cawthorne Channel, Akaso and Alakiri.
Shell Petroleum Development Company originally developed the asset before it was acquired by Eroton Exploration and Production Company in 2014.
However, years of operational disputes, declining production and ageing infrastructure have left much of the oilfield system abandoned or poorly maintained.
FG promises lasting solution
Addressing community leaders at the palace of the Amanyanabo of Bille Kingdom, Ingo Herbert, Mr Ekpo assured residents that the Federal Government remained committed to identifying the cause of the seepage and restoring the affected environment.
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“Investigation into the root cause is ongoing, and the Federal Government is fully committed to resolving the issue. We will ensure the environment is safe and properly remediated. We are with you on this,” the minister said.
Earlier, Governor Fubara commended the coordinated response by the Federal Government and industry stakeholders, assuring residents that their concerns would receive urgent attention.
“The Federal Government is doing everything possible to ensure that the gas seepage is brought under control. The requests for potable water, healthcare and firefighting support have been noted and will be addressed,” the governor said.
He also directed the immediate upgrade of the community’s primary healthcare facility to strengthen its capacity to respond to health emergencies linked to the gas seepage.
Meanwhile, the Chairman of the Bille Council of Chiefs, Alabo Okpokia Dokubo, urged the government to swiftly implement the promised interventions, saying residents deserved to benefit fully from the oil and gas resources in their community.
