Road Construction workers in Biseni Community of Yenagoa local government area of Bayelsa State were yesterday sacked from their homes following leakage of strange gaseous substance from the Well 3 of the Agip oil facility located in the state.
The oil well identified as Idu Well 3 is located in Egbebiri area of the community spewed crude oil from the liquefied section and discharged crude into the environment.
The toxic smell of the gaseous discharge had compelled construction workers at the road in the area to vacate the site. The construction workers were seen parking their earth moving machinery while they discussed the oil and gas leak when our correspondent visited the spill site yesterday.
“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 wished to be anonymous said.
A surveillance staff of the oil firm who was found at the site said that the leakage was reported to the oil firm since February 7 but regretted that no steps had been taken to stop the leak.
Mr Eris Doubra said that he had been exposed to the toxic gas emitted from the oil well and appealed to the management of the oil firm to fix the leak.
“This leak was noticed on Friday and immediately reported to the surveillance department, they asked me to put it in writing in addition to sending them a video clip I recorded with my phone.
“They have sent different group of people to come here but they just looked at the leak and go, they are supposed to send down a maintenance team to halt he 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.
The oil from the wellhead collects into a pool and flows into a nearby pit where remnants of an earlier spill awaits recovery and clean up.
Osa Okhomina
