CHEVRON Nigeria Ltd (CNL), operator of the Joint Venture (JV) between the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and CNL (NNPC/CNL JV), has confirmed a fire that engulfed Ojumole Well 1 last Thursday.
General Manager, Policy Government & Public Affairs (PGPA), Esimaje Brikinn, confirmed the incident on Thursday in a statement made available to Tribune Online in Warri, Delta State.
Brikinn, who reiterated CNL’s commitment to the protection of lives and the environment in its operations, said that “at about 10:00 p.m. on Thursday, April 18, 2019, a fire was observed at the Ojumole Well No. 1, an idle and plugged well with no flowline connected to it.”
He disclosed that “Ojumole field is in NNPC/CNL JV’s Western Niger Delta area of operations,” adding that “CNL conducted an overflight to evaluate the fire and also mobilised emergency responders to assess the site, contain the fire and boom the area.”
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According to Brikinn, CNL has notified the community’s stakeholders about the incident and also reported it to the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR), National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA) and other regulatory and security authorities.
He said from investigations carried out, a third party was responsible for the fire incident at the site.
“A Joint Investigation Visit (JIV) to the site of the incident on Saturday, April 20, 2019, by a team made up of regulatory agencies, community stakeholders and CNL, determined that the fire incident was caused by third-party interference.
“There was no impact to any of the neighbouring communities.
“CNL is currently working with contractors to safely put out the fire as quickly as possible,” the GM added.
Mr Brikinn averred that “CNL remains committed to the safety of the communities and the environment in its areas of operation” and will continue to conduct its “operations safely, reliably and efficiently, with the utmost consideration for protection of people and the environment.”
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