The National Oil Spills Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA), says it is yet to assess the impact of the Italian energy firm, Eni, oil spill in Brass due to security concerns in Bayelsa.
Mr Idris Musa, the Director-General of NOSDRA made this known to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday in Yenagoa.
Musa said that the agency had to delay its visit to the site for the safety of its staff prior to the Supreme Court judgment that sacked the erstwhile Governor-Elect, David Lyon.
NAN reports that violent protests occurred on Feb. 14 in Bayelsa following the sack of Lyon by the Supreme Court judgment, which declared the PDP candidate, Senator Duoye Diri as the winner of the Nov. 16, 2019 election.
The protest caused the police to impose three days dusk to dawn curfew in Bayelsa on Feb. 14.
The oil leakage, which occurred on Feb. 3, disrupted oil export from the Brass Oil Terminal off Bayelsa coastline.
Eni has since shut down the pipeline which has the capacity to handle the export of 90,000 barrels of crude per day.
The NOSDRA chief said that a team from the agency would visit the site as soon as calm returned because of the safety of the staff.
Musa said that the agency was not aware that the spill was caused by an explosion but from leakages at three points on the trunk.
According to him, the cause and the extent of the spill will be made public.
In a response to an e-mail request for comments by NAN, Eni through a staff, who preferred anonymity, said the company had shut the line to effect repairs.
The oil firm said that the incident had no substantial impact on the 90,000 barrels per day crude export terminal.
“The line is an intra-field one in a minor field therefore impact on production is minimal. The flow on the line has been immediately halted and preparations for repair are underway.
“Brass export line is active,” Eni stated (NAN)
