13 November 2012, Sweetcrude, LAGOS – NIGERIA’s National Oil Spills Detection and Response Agency, NOSDRA, has estimated the lastest oil spill from the facility of Mobil Producing Nigeria, MPN, an ExxonMobil subsidiary, in Ibeno, Akwa Ibom State at 50 to 100 barrels.
“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 and 100 barrels but that is a mere estimate because the investigation would determine precisely the quantity of oil discharged into the environment,” Mr. Idris Musa, NOSDRA’s director incharge of oil siplls said.
Mobil, on its part, has expressed regrets over the spill, saying dispersants and boom were being deployed as approved by the regulatory authorities, and that more than 100 personnel are involved in the clean up exercise.
The company said the cleanup activities are being coordinated with NOSDRA, the Department of Petroleum Resources, Akwa Ibom State Ministry of Environment and local community leaders.
“Our teams are being mobilised to clean up the area. We apologise for the inconveniences that it has caused”, a statement quoted the managing director, Mark Ward, to have said.
Mobil on Friday confirmed that it recorded another oil release offshore Akwa Ibom State.
