Eroton Exploration and Production Company has reported a fire on a wellhead at its Akaso field, located within its Oil Mining Lease, OML-18 asset in Rivers State. The incident occurred last weekend in the Cawthrone Channel operational area. This fire comes approximately three months after a previous fire explosion at Akaso Well-14 in October 2022.
According to the company’s spokesperson, Mercy Max-Ebibai, the well was releasing hydrocarbons into the environment, which was exacerbated by a wildfire. This situation is believed to have resulted from suspected vandalism and bunkering activities affecting the Xmas tree containment valves of the wellhead. The statement noted that an oil-laden wooden boat was initially observed nearby, and a loud bang was reported, leading to fires that spread to two wellheads. At the time of reporting, only one wellhead remained on fire, while the fire at Akaso6LS had been extinguished.
Max-Ebibai indicated that an Emergency Response Team had been convened, and the company’s well control engineers were collaborating with an experienced wild well control vendor. This vendor has been contacted to assess the wildfire situation and to design a technical solution along with a firefighting strategy. She further stated that the company has complied with all regulatory obligations and has notified the relevant authorities within the required timeframe. Eroton is working closely with these authorities to investigate the cause of the incident and assess the extent of the damage. The company expressed appreciation for the efforts of the authorities and the broader oil and gas industry in addressing these ongoing, unfortunate, and costly incidents.
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