The joint investigation into an oil spill at Azuzuama Community, Bayelsa State, has triggered disagreement among Oando, regulators, and community representatives.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the spill occurred on 25 June along Oando’s six-inch Azuzuama-Tebidaba flow line in the Southern Ijaw Local Government Area of Bayelsa.
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According to a field report by the Environmental Conservation Agriculture and Rural Development (ECARD), the spill, which discharged large volumes of crude into the community, was caused by “induced corrosion” linked to sabotage.
Reuben Enai, the director of petroleum and pollution at the Bayelsa Ministry of Environment, who also participated in the joint investigation, reported that the rupture resulted from induced corrosion.
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Mr Enai stated that visual examination of the crude delivery pipeline showed marks that suggested deliberate use of acid to cause corrosion at the top section of the pipe.
He argued that natural corrosion could not have caused damage at the “12 o’clock” position of the pipeline.
Meanwhile, the host community insisted that the spill resulted from equipment failure and corrosion.
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Angasei Perediseghebofa, the chairman of the Azuzuama Community Development Committee, said on Monday in Yenagoa that the outcome of the Joint Investigation Visit (JIV) was faulty.
He said the visible rust on the exposed pipeline indicated corrosion, not sabotage, as claimed by ECARD and the company.
According to him, the testing devices introduced by Oando malfunctioned during the inspection, preventing a credible determination of the cause of the spill.
Also speaking, Uyabara Boneghen, the committee’s vice chairman, questioned the reliability of the testing equipment Oando used during the JIV.
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Mr Boneghen referred to a second leak beneath a platform, saying that the bubbling gas raised another uninvestigated environmental concern in the community.
The JIV is a statutory exercise to probe the cause, estimated spill volume and impacted area of a spill.
Experts say the divergent views by the regulators, operator and representatives of the host community have rendered the JIV inconclusive.
They urged Oando to immediately contain the spill, clean up contaminated areas, and repair the underwater leak to prevent further environmental damage.
According to them, a separate investigation into the underwater leak will avert prolonged hydrocarbon discharge that could further pollute the community’s sources of livelihood.
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