ExxonMobil in fresh mess as oil spill takes over Akwa Ibom communities

ExxonMobil could be in for another trouble as fresh oil spill from its facility, has reportedly hit more than 10 communities on the Ibeno shoreline in Akwa Ibom.

According to a youth leader in the community, Godwin Robert, secretary of Ulok Ulok People’s Assembly, the spill was the sixth this year.

He said the cause of the spill was due to the recent Edoho pipeline repairs destroyed by the Niger Delta Avengers, NDA, earlier in the year.

He disclosed that the oil spill was traced to ExxonMobil installations located at Okposo, Atia, Western end and Eastern end of Ibeno communities.

Harry Moses, President of the group said the communities discovered the oil spill on December13, 2016.

The report came few days after sources informed of ExxonMobil’s resumption of production and export of crude grade, Qua Iboe.

Qua Iboe Terminal (QIT), is being operated by ExxonMobil, and information says it now produces an “excess of 150,000 barrels of oil per day”.

The terminal had been under force majeure since July 15, 2016, after the pipeline was struck by NDA who also claimed to have bombed the company’s 48-inch Qua Iboe crude oil export pipeline on July 11.

ExxonMobil exports over 400,000 BOPD through the Qua Iboe.

After the pipeline bombing, NDA had posted a statement on its website, warning the company not to carry out repairs.

“If ExxonMobil fails to listen to us (Niger Delta Avengers), your personnel are going to be our next casualties not pipelines,” said the group.

As a result of attacks on oil and gas pipelines in the Niger Delta, Nigeria’s oil production dropped to a 30-year low.

NDA said the region wants a larger share of the country’s oil wealth.

Afterwards, Exxon had struggled to bring production of Qua Iboe back to normal.

However, according to information, the terminal had actually resumed export since October but the company had kept it under hush especially because of the threat it received from the NDA.

The source said the company’s first offer after the lifting was in October as Exxon had an October-loading cargo of the Qua Iboe crude oil.

Although news about the terminal’s resumption had filtered in October, traders said the company did not release a revise loading schedule of the crude exports, making it hard to believe that the terminal was back in production/export until few days ago.