The Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) on Wednesday said it was closely monitoring the Crude oil spill incident which took place during loading operations in Egina on 15th November 2023 at about 6:30am.
In a statement, NIMASA said it was working closely with the National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA), and the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) from the Crisis Management Room (CMR), where the spill was being monitored real time using oil spill monitoring software from the Emergency Response Center.
Though the volume of spill was yet confirmed, NIMASA said Total Energies was providing aerial surveillance, dispersant application, while further mobilization was being considered.
The Oil Spill Response Limited from the United Kingdom was also assisting with pollution control measures. Reconnaissance survey of the impacted area confirmed that the shoreline communities of Andoni, Qua-Iboe terminals, Bonny Island, Opobo/Nkoro and Eastern Obolo, which are closest to Egina, were not affected as of the time of the report.
The Director General of NIMASA, Dr Bashir Jamoh OFR, noted that the Agency was collaborating with all stakeholders to control the pollution and also put in place measures to prevent such occurrences in the future, in line with provisions of the MARPOL Convention.
“Since the incident happened, our men have been liaising with other organs of Government to ensure the pollution is effectively controlled and managed, to protect the marine environment and the communities close to the incident point. Accidents do happen, it’s what we do thereafter that matters and I believe that the IOC Total, working with NIMASA, NUPRC, NOSDRA and collaborating with international service providers, will surely ensure proper management of the spill,” he said.
