The report of the Joint Investigation Visit (JIV) on the oil spill at the Kolo Creek Manifold, Bayelsa State, which occurred on April 15, 2015 has attributed the incident to sabotage of the facility.
The manifold belongs to the Shell Petroleum Development Company, operator of the SPDC Joint Venture.
The investigation team visited the site on April 16, and found that a section of the metal protection to the manifold had been cut and components of the pressure control system removed. This exposed the isolation valves, resulting in a spill.
The investigation was led by regulators – the National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency; the Department of Petroleum Resources; representatives of the Bayelsa State Ministry of Environment; host communities; and SPDC officials.
The volume of spilled oil was estimated at 27 barrels, affecting mainly the manifold grounds and part of the surrounding vegetation.
SPDC stopped the leak soon after it occurred, deployed effective containment and began the recovery of oil.
Meanwhile, the fire arising from another leak on the Kolo Creek – Rumuekpe trunk line about 5kilometres from the manifold which was reported on Monday has been put out. A site observation confirmed a recently excavated ditch at the fire point.
SPDC has expressed concern at the brazen damage of its facilities in parts of the Delta. It commended the Bayelsa State Government for its support and called on communities and other stakeholders to join hands in the efforts to discourage the trend.
