An oil spill from an 8-inch crude delivery pipeline at Oil Mining Lease 29 (OML 29) has polluted Nembe communities around the Santa Barbara River in Bayelsa State in southern Nigeria..
The OML 29 asset is operated by Nembe Exploration and Production Company Limited, formerly Aiteo Eastern Exploration and Production Company Limited.
According to local media reports, the leak at Tora area in Nembe occurred on October 1, discharging a yet to be ascertained volumes of Crude stress into the Santa Barbara River and adjourning areas.
The letter to the operator of OML 29 by the legal counsel to the Opu Nembe Kingdom signed by Mr Iniruo Wills, Managing Partner of Ntephe Smith and Wills, stated that the spill has adversely impacted the people who depend on the Santa Barbara River.
The letter also requested for a Joint Investigation Visit (JIV) to the spill site to ascertain the cause and volume of the spill.
Meanwhile, the oil firm has confirmed the oil spill in a letter Ref:NEPCo/HSE-JIV/2025/04 dated October 5, which proposed a JIV for October 6.
However, the Nembe communities in a response to the letter kicked against the October 6 date and opted for October 9 for the exercise,
GIK/APA