Fire Reported at Akaso 4 Wellhead in Nigeria’s Rivers State
A devastating fire has broken out at the Akaso 4 Wellhead, operated by Nigerian National Petroleum Company 18 Operating Limited (NNPC 18), in Rivers State, Nigeria. The Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) confirmed the incident in a statement released on Saturday.
According to Olaide Shonola, spokesperson for NUPRC, the fire began at approximately 11:12 pm on Friday and has extended along the adjacent riverbank. "NNPC 18 Operating Limited has confirmed that a rapid response emergency team has been deployed to secure the well, address the incident, and isolate the affected area using spill containment materials to prevent further spread and contamination of the environment. They are also planning to start the oil recovery process immediately," Shonola stated.
The company has taken swift action to mitigate the situation, deploying a Naval Houseboat within the incident area and establishing community surveillance to monitor the situation. Although the cause of the incident remains unknown, a joint investigation with relevant stakeholders is being planned to determine the cause and the area of impact.
Interestingly, Shonola noted that the Akaso Well 4 has been out of operation for a significant period.
Furthermore, the NUPRC spokesperson revealed that the fire at the NNPC’s Alakiri Well 9T, which began on February 23, 2024, is still raging. The contractor engaged to deal with the situation, Kenyon International West Africa Company, is facing challenges in putting out the fire and plans to deploy the total oxygen extraction method instead of the heat extraction method currently being deployed. Equipment fabrication is 100% complete, and the contractor is awaiting mobilization from the well owners. Contractor personnel are on-site monitoring the incident.
A meeting is also planned with the management of NNPC 18 Operating Limited to review the safety and integrity of its operations. "We will provide further updates on the incident as soon as they are available," Shonola submitted.
