The oil spill incident at the Nembe Creek facility in Bayelsa State has no connection to the operations of Nembe Exploration and Production Limited, according to sources familiar with the situation.
Sources said that the vessel involved in the August 22 incident was a contractor-owned remediation barge and was not involved in crude oil production or evacuation activities operated by Nembe Exploration.
The clarification follows earlier reports linking the spill to crude-loading operations at the facility, which was previously managed by Aiteo Eastern Exploration and Production Limited under Oil Mining Lease 29.
During a visit to the affected area, the Health of Mother Earth Foundation (HOMEF) observed crude oil floating on the water and coating sections of the mangrove banks. Residents reported that the spill had damaged their fishing nets, significantly reduced fish catches, and restricted access to their usual fishing grounds.
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The sources stressed that the presence of a vessel near the facility does not necessarily mean that it was owned or operated by the oil company. They called on investigators and regulators to establish the ownership of the barge, the nature of its contractual arrangement, and the activities it was carrying out before assigning responsibility for the incident.
Earlier reports indicated that a Joint Investigation Visit (JIV) had attributed the spill to an operational failure. However, the volume of crude released and the full extent of the environmental damage remain unclear.
HOMEF has called for the immediate publication of the complete JIV report, including details on the cause of the spill, the estimated volume of crude discharged, the communities affected, and the extent of the environmental impact.
The organisation is also demanding a comprehensive review of the incident, the cleanup of polluted waterways and the restoration of damaged mangrove ecosystems.
