The Nigerian Agip Oil Company has shut down operations of Idu oilfields in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, as a result of oil leakage.
The company stated on Wednesday that the facility was shut to prevent further damage to the environment.
“As soon as the incident was reported, we activated our oil spill response, shut in the well and notified government regulatory agencies. The Joint Investigation Visit was carried out on May 9, 2021, with participation of community representatives and regulatory agencies.
“The event occurred within the company’s wellhead location, which is paved and walled round. There is no significant third party impact,” the company explained.
A report by the JIV has stated that the cause of the oil leak was traced to equipment failure due to a rupture at the wellhead.
The Idu fields were notorious for frequent spills caused by equipment failure. In 2015, similar occurrence happened, which resulted in a protest by the Nigeria’s oil-producing delta that led to the shutdown of six Idu oil wells run by Agip, a unit of Italian oil major, ENI.
