Mobil Producing Nigeria (MPN) has reported an oil spill from its Qua Iboe oil fields, the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports.
Mr Idris Musa, the Director in charge of Oil Spills in the?National Oil Spills Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA), told a NAN Correspondent on Sunday that the agency had received a report of the?incident.
“We received a report from Mobil that there was a spill at their field and we have dispatched our officers from our Uyo office to the spill site to access the impact.
“They are estimating that the spilled volume is between 50 barrels and 100 barrels but that is a mere estimate?because the investigation would determine precisely the quantity of oil discharged into the environment.”
NAN recalls that?two spills had occurred within the Qua Iboe oil fields operated by Mobil on Aug. 13 and Aug. 23, 2012.
Mr Paul Arinze, the General Manager, Public and?Inter-Governmental Affairs, said in?a response statement on the incident?on Sunday that an investigation was underway.
“Mobil Producing Nigeria Unlimited (MPN), operator of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC/MPN) Joint Venture, confirms that on November 9, an oil release occurred offshore Akwa Ibom State.
“The source of the leak was identified and the pipeline was isolated and shutdown, emergency response personnel and equipment have been deployed.
“Regulatory and community representatives have been notified.
“MPN also arranged for representatives of Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR), National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA), Akwa Ibom State Ministry of Environment and local community to overfly the area.”
The oil firm regretted the incident and reiterated its commitment to maintaining high safety, health and environmental standards within its operations.
Meanwhile officials of NOSDRA told NAN that the investigations into the two previous spill incidents in the area on 13, and 24 of August 2012 were still in progress. (NAN)