ODAHIEKWU OGUNDE, YENAGOA
A gas well-head leak has occurred in Sangana community of Brass Local Government Area of Bayelsa State from an adriatic rig reportedly owned by Conoil Producing Limited.
The leak occurred barely eight months after a major gas leak occurred in the same community on November 1, 2021, leaving the community folks with a series of health challenges.
The Chairman of Sangana Fishing Union (SFU), Noel Ikonikumo, said gas was just spewing out from the rig and spreading fast into the sea and the community.
He said: “The gas is spewing out now as we are talking. It is more than the one that occurred last year. It is now getting to the point of the rig burning.
“It is still from the same rig. They even brought another one to join that one. There are two rigs there now by the same company. It happened Wednesday evening and it is worse than even the other one that occurred about eight months ago.
“If care is not taken, the place will catch fire. The oil firm has started evacuating its workers there.”
It was learnt that last Saturday, a vessel that came to supply the rig that had a problem fell down and the chemical and other items in it poured into the ocean.
The chemical was said to have spread from the sea to the shore.
Another indigene of the community, Mr Ayibatonye Benjamin, urged the relevant authorities to intervene to avoid the incident escalating into an inferno as the leak is serious.
“Another blowout has happened at the same rig. The company’s officials have started evacuating their workers. Efforts should be intensified to contain it before it begins to catch fire,” he said.
Efforts to get a reaction from the Public Relations Officer of Conoil, Richard Edegbai, was unsuccessful as his mobile phone indicated it was not reachable.