By IGONIKO ODUMA, Yenagoa

A fresh oil spill has been reported at the Oil Mining Lease (OML) 59 operated by Conoil Producing Limited around the Angofield, near Tamazu settlements in Koluama Clan in the Southern Ijaw Local Government Area of Bayelsa State.

It was gathered that the spill incident occurred from the indigenous oil firm’s wellhead 1 on January 30, and “was spewing crude oil in gaseous form from an elbow of a pipeline linked directly to the Ango wellhead 1.”

Crude oil and gas leaked in various quantities from the affected facility till February 2 when a team from Conoil mobilised to stop the spill, sources said.

Before the team arrived at the spill site, crude oil had flowed into the marine environment of the fishing settlements in the area on the fringes of the Atlantic Ocean.

The chairman of Koluama clan oil and gas committee, Jonathan Amabebe, and the Tamazu community development committee (CDC) chairman, Ebibotei Kerimama, confirmed the development, stating that the spill was being spread by the tidal ebb of the river.

They said that residents were not comfortable over the pollution caused by the spill because of its impact on their health and livelihood.

Amabebe said, “A similar incident occurred last December (2021), even then, Conoil did nothing positive concerning that by way of reaction.

“This one has happened again and it really spread in the environment but they have used dispersants, chemicals to dissolve or sink the crude oil in the water.

“However, they couldn’t succeed in silencing the environment as the vegetation at the banks of the river told their story of pollution. There were visible crude oil and soiled oily leaves.” (Sunday Independent)

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