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Gas leakage causes pandemonium in Bayelsa community

Sangana—There was pandemonium yesterday in Sangana community in Brass local Government area of Bayelsa State, as a result of a suspected gas leakage from the Self-drilling Adraitic 1 Platform of Otuo South in OML 59.

Leadership Newspaper reports that the gas leakage from the Adriatic facilities belongs to Shelf Oil and Gas Drilling Company Nigerian limited, a subsidiary of Conoil Producing Limited.

The facility, located deep in the Atlantic is about 20 metres away from a residential area.

Hon. Bello Bina, a security consultant with Conoil, was reported to have led the evacuation of staff from the Self-drilling Adraitic 1 Platform.

Community folks, including chiefs, elders, women and youths were said to be moving around with face mask on or evacuated from the community to avoid gas poisoning/explosion.

When contacted, Chairman of the Community Development Committee, Comrade Reuben Preboye, who expressed concern over the development, declared that the community is in danger.

“The implication is that the entire environment of Sagana community has been destroyed by the pollution.

“It will be the Government position to quickly come. People inhabiting the environment will not be in good shape,” he said.

On his part, the Bayelsa State Coordinator of the Environmental Rights Action/Friends of the Earth Nigeria (ERA/FoEN), Comrade Morris Alagoa, revealed that the gas leak has continued in the facility at Sangana since Sunday night and has continued till now and all staff have been evacuated from the Platform.

Alagoa urged regulatory agencies, especially the National Oil Spill Detection & Response Agency (NOSDRA), Bayelsa State Ministry of Environment and Conoil to take immediate steps to stop the leakage to prevent large scale destruction of aquatic life/ecosystem.

Communities along the coastline in Brass, Southern Ijaw and Ekeremor local government areas may be affected if a serious gas explosion occurs at the Otuo oilfield in Sangana community.

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