Gas leak devastates Bayelsa community

The toxic smell of the gaseous discharge had also compelled construction workers at the road leading to the community to pull out of site.When our correspondent visited the area yesterday, the construction workers were seen parking their earth moving machinery, while they discussed the oil and gas leak.“This leakage has made this whole area very […]

The toxic smell of the gaseous discharge had also compelled construction workers at the road leading to the community to pull out of site.
When our correspondent visited the area yesterday, the construction workers were seen parking their earth moving machinery, while they discussed the oil and gas leak.
“This leakage has made this whole area very unsafe, the smell of the gas is very poisonous and I cannot continue to expose my workers to it, we have to suspend work until something is done about the oil and gas discharge,” the site supervisor who pleaded anonymity stated.
A surveillance staff of the oil firm who was found at the site told Daily Trust that the leak was reported to the oil firm since February 7, but regretted that no steps had been taken to stop the leak.
The surveillance staff who gave his name as Mr. Eris Doubra further said that he had been exposed to the toxic gas emitting from the oil well and appealed to the management of the Agip to fix the leak.
He said that when the leakage was noticed on Friday, he immediately reported to the surveillance department, and he was asked  to put it in writing in addition to sending them a video clip he recorded with his phone.
“They have sent different group of people to come here but they just look at the leak and go, they are supposed to send down a maintenance team to halt the leak.
“It started small but you can see that the site is already surrounded by a pool of oil, the leakage is worsening by the day as more oil is gushing out as the pressure is widening the leak on the pipe,” Doubra said.
Mr Tajudeen Adigun, spokemen of the oil firm did not take calls to his mobile  phone nor respond to text message asking for his comments.