Five weeks after an oil well blowout in Delta State’s Uzere Kingdom, the operator, Heritage Energy Operational Services Limited, is yet to fully contain the incident, raising concerns over the growing environmental and livelihood impacts on the oil-producing community.
The blowout is reported to have occurred on 26 June at Well 14 in Oil Mining Lease (OML) 30, located in Uzere, Isoko South Local Government Area, one of the state’s oldest oil-producing communities.
A field assessment by the environmental advocacy group Health of Mother Earth Foundation (HOMEF), released on Wednesday, alleged that the damaged wellhead continued to discharge crude oil, gas and other petroleum substances into the environment more than a month after the incident.
The organisation said it was denied access to the affected site by security personnel during a visit on 25 July and relied on photographs, videos and testimonies from community leaders and residents.
However, the Warri Zonal Head of the National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA) confirmed the spill and told PREMIUM TIMES that containment efforts were ongoing and that the agency planned another inspection of the site.
