Bayelsa In Danger As Agip Oil Well Leakage Pollutes Community

AGIP IDU WELL 3 SPILL SITE1_0

Oil-rich Bayelsa State has again be hit by pollution as a leakage from Agip’s Idu Well 3, located in Egbebiri area of Biseni in Yenagoa Local Government Area of Bayelsa State, is currently discharging crude into the environment.

The toxic smell of the gaseous discharge has heightened tension in the area, also forcing construction workers to pull out of site.

“This leakage has made this whole area very unsafe; the smell of the gas is very poisonous and I cannot continue to expose my workers to it. We have to suspend work until something is done about the oil and gas discharge,” the site supervisor who wished to be anonymous told Vanguard.

A surveillance staff from the oil firm who was found at the site, said that the leak was reported on February 7, but expressed regret that nothing had been done to stop the leak.

The staff further said that he had been exposed to the toxic gas from the oil well and appealed to the management of Agip to address the problem.

“This leak was noticed on Friday and promptly reported to the surveillance department. They asked me to put it in writing in addition to sending them a video clip I recorded with my phone. They have sent different groups of people to come here but they just looked at the leak and left. They were supposed to send down a maintenance team to halt the leakage.

“It started small, but you can see that the site is already surrounded by a pool of oil. The leakage is worsening by the day as more oil is gushing out as the pressure is increasing the leak on the pipe,” he said.

No comment has been made yet by Agip on the leak.