The National Oil Spills Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA) said investigations into two oil leak incidents at the Nigerian Agip Oil Company (NAOC) oilfields in Bayelsa State indicate they were caused by vandalism.
The two incidents occurred in Southern Ijaw and Ekeremor local government areas of the state.
The Director-General, NOSDRA, Mr Idris Musa, said yesterday that the agency concluded Joint Investigation Visits (JIVs) at the sites within the last one week.
He explained that a JIV to the six-inch Azuzuama-Tebidaba flow-line at Ikebiri in Southern Ijaw LGA operated by the NAOC was traced to third-party interference.
The director-general said the incident suspected to be the handiwork of oil thieves, occurred on June 13, 2022, while the JIV was conducted on June 14, 2022.
Musa, who said that an estimated volume of eight barrels of crude was discharged into the environment, noted: “Unknown person(s) installed a flange at 12 O’clock position on the pipeline.
“Area of impact was outside the company’s right of way and inside right of way, vegetation was impacted and repair was affected.”
According to Musa, the second incident occurred on NAOC’s 6-inch Tuomo-Ogboinbiri pipeline at Ayamasa in Ekeremor council area.
He noted: “At three different points, hacksaw cuts were observed at different positions on the pipeline. Also, wraps of different materials were used around the different cuts caused by unknown person (s).
“The second point was about 35 metres apart from the first point, while the third point was across a major river.”