A fire incident has occurred at the Akaso 4 Wellhead in Rivers State, operated by Nigerian National Petroleum Company 18 Operating Limited.
News About Nigeria reports that the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) confirmed the incident through a statement issued by its spokesperson, Olaide Shonola, on Saturday.
The fire, which began on Friday at approximately 11:12 pm, has spread along the adjacent riverbank, prompting a swift response from the company.
According to Shonola, a rapid response emergency team has been deployed to secure the well, contain the incident, and prevent further environmental contamination.
The team is utilizing spill containment materials to isolate the affected area and plans to initiate the oil recovery process immediately.
Additionally, a Naval Houseboat has been stationed within the incident area, and community surveillance has been established to monitor the situation closely.
The cause of the incident remains unknown, but a joint investigation with relevant stakeholders is being planned to determine the root cause and assess the impact area.
Notably, the Akaso Well 4 has been non-operational for a considerable period.
In a related development, the NUPRC spokesperson revealed that the fire at NNPC’s Alakiri Well 9T, which started on February 23, 2024, is still ongoing.
Despite efforts by the contractor, Kenyon International West Africa Company, to extinguish the fire, challenges persist.
The contractor is now planning to deploy the total oxygen extraction method instead of the heat extraction method currently in use.
The necessary equipment fabrication is complete, and the contractor awaits mobilization from the well owners.
A meeting with the management of NNPC 18 Operating Limited is scheduled to review the safety and integrity of its operations.
The NUPRC spokesperson assured that further updates on the incident would be provided as soon as they become available.
