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Contents
1.
Introduction
2.
Mogho Oil Spill
3.
Communities Affected
4.
Cause(s) of the Spill
5.
Oil Spill Response
6.
Impacts
7.
Inevitable Fears
8.
Recommendation
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1.
INTRODUCTION
Crude oil spillages are a regular occurrence in the Niger Delta region
of Nigeria where over 80% of the country’s crude oil is produced.
Sources of crude oil pollution include drilling and production
operations, pipelines, manifolds, hoses, oil tankers, barges, oil
terminals and depots (Odiete, 1999)1. Dublin-Green et al, (1998)2
reported that from 1979 – 1997, the Nigerian Petroleum industry
suffered 5334 cases of oil spillage resulting in the discharge of 2.8
million barrels of oil into the land, swamps, estuaries and coastal
waters. However, some incidents of oil spillage in the Niger Delta are
oftentimes not reported or perhaps, rated minor without post-spill
remediation measures.
Ogoni, located in the south-eastern part of the lower Niger Delta is
endowed with abundant natural resources including oil and gas.
While oil was first struck in commercial quantities at Oloibiri, Bayelsa
State, 1956, Bomu (an Ogoni town) was the second point of
commercial oil discovery (1958) in the annals of Nigeria’s petroleum
industry. Ogoni thus plays host to five flow stations and 96 oil wells.
Despite the suspension of oil exploration and exploitation activities in
Ogoni since 1993, the area is yet to be spared from oil spillages. Oil
pipelines criss-cross Ogoni landscape some of which are trans-Niger
trunk lines that transport oil to shipment terminal in Bonny Island.
On August 25, 2003 some littoral Ogoni communities in Gokana
Local Government area experienced tremendous oil spillage for no
less than a week. Barely one year and a month later, these same
areas suffered another crude oil pollution (spillage) which is highly
devastating in scope.
2.
1.
Odiete, W. O. 1999; Environmental Physiology of Animals and Pollution.
Diversified Resources, Lagos, Nigeria, Page 204.
2.
Dublin-Green, W. F. Nwankwo, J. N. and Irechukwu, D. O. 1998: Effective
Regulation and Management of HSE issues in the Petroleum History; S.PE
International
Conference on Health, Safety and Environment in Oil and Gas
MOGHO
OIL SPILL
Exploration and Production, Caracas, Venezuela, 7-10, June, 1998. Paper No.
SPE 40/26
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2.
MOGHO OIL SPILL
On the 11th October, 2004, oil spilled at an Ogoni town called Mogho.
Mogho is one of the seventeen towns in the Gokana Kingdom of
Ogoni (administratively located in the Gokana Local Government
Area of Rivers State). Lying approximately on latitude 4039’11” N and
latitude 7017’15” E, Mogho is situated on the coastal lowland of the
Niger Delta, South-East of Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital,
and about ten nautical (or sea) miles off the Bonny River (Vikoo,
2003)3.
On the above mentioned day, at “Saanako” swamp in Mogho, along
Shell’s 24 inches Trans-Niger Pipeline4, a major leakage occurred
which resulted in the spewing of quantum volume of crude oil, yet to
be quantified into the swampy environment. The oil gushed out
steadily for over 24 hours before stoppage. The affected spill locality
being a wetland (tropical swamp) has a fresh water stream which
drains waters from upland and flows unidirectionally downstream
before it discharges into an estuarine mangrove sheltered
environment at a neighbouring community called Goi. Thus, the
spilled oil which covered the surface of the swamp water flows along
gradient and steadily, emptying into the denser brackish water of Goi.
From Goi, tidal fluxes spread the oil scum to neighbouring littoral
communities.
Flood and ebb tides carried the oil sleek to every nook and cranny of
the affected communities’ water environment. Oil become stranded
and formed oil pools on sandy and muddy inter-tidal depressions
during receding tides. Tidal pumping causes oil percolation into
sediments. The oil was later inflamed from a yet to be identified
source. Consequently, the whirl fire trailed the spread of the oil.
3.
COMMUNITIES AFFECTED
Whereas, Mogho and Goi are the epicenters of the spill incident and
effects, other bounded communities with interconnectivity of creeks
were also affected. The communities are Bodo city, K-Dere and Kpor
all in the Gokana Local Government Area of Ogoni, Rivers State.
3.
Vikoo, B. 2003 “The Mogho People and the Development of modern Ogoni Nation”
Springfield, Owerri, Nigeria, Page 1
4.
The Shell’s Trans Niger Pipeline runs through Ogoni communities and other
communities to Bonny Island, Rivers State.
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4.
CAUSE(S) OF THE SPILLAGE
The cause(s) of the oil spillage is/are still shrouded in mystery. This
could be determined if thorough investigation is done. However, the
owners of the leaked pipeline, Shell Nigeria in her traditional style of
avoiding responsibilities had issued a press statement blaming the
spillage on sabotage even before sending out field inspectors and fire
fighters to the affected sites.
5.
OIL SPILL RESPONSE
No other post-spill responses have been embarked on beyond
extinguishing the fire and plastering the leaking pipe. These dual
measures were undertaken simply to enhance the continuous
streaming of oil to Bonny terminal for shipment rather than the
concern for the environment. This presumption stems from the fact
that even the simple physical method of crossing creek channels with
floating booms to prevent further downstream spread of oil has been
neglected by the oil giant.
6.
IMPACTS
The oil flame gutted tropical rainforest and mangrove trees to an
estimated range of about 30km2. Arable crops like cassava, yam,
three leaf yam, etc on farmlands fringing the affected “Saanako”
swamp forest down to Goi where not spared either. The lush and
thickly mangrove forest swamp of Goi is now better remembered.
Mangrove trees primarily dominated by Rhizophora Spp (red
mangrove) and sparse stands of Avicenia africana (white mangrove)
pockets of mangrove fern (Acrosticum aureum) and Palsparum
vaginatum, the mangrove sedge which creeps high intertidal marks
were all burnt down. During full tide, when field assessment was
done, only the stumps of burnt hanging roots of red mangrove trees,
protruding 4-8cm above the water surface depicted the pre-spill
mangrove density lost to the inferno.
As a rule of thumb, the primary productivity of the impacted areas will
fall drastically. This is because oil films would affect the production of
microphytes (phytoplankton) which contribute greatly in association
with mangrove leaf litters (detritus) to the primary productivity budget
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of the local aquatic environment.
This is so as the algae
(phytoplankton) are deprived of oxygen, radiant heat and light. The
Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD) will increase with a drop in pH
resulting in anoxic conditions that will favour the algal bloom of the
opportunistic blue-green algae and dinoflagelates which contribute
little (in terms of quality) to the aquatic food chain (Hart, 1997)5.
The shores have lost their compactment and stability. Along the
snaky stream, right from the spilled spot to the point of freshwater –
brackish water transition, the pre-spill water saturated soil have dried
up, lost cohesion and turns vulnerable to riparian erosion. This is
shown by visible soil cracks, in blocks along the water banks
following three successive rains after the fire was extinguished.
Dug-out canoes used by poor fisher folks, local sand dredgers etc
anchored in the vicinity of Goi landing site were burnt to ashes.
Fishing nets routinely spread on stakes for drying after fishing were
also engulfed.
Set gill nets, beach seine, pens and other fishing gears and
enclosures in the affected water web are tainted by oil scum and
made useless.
Oil also sleeked into three brackish water ponds situated at Goi. The
ponds ranging from 0.1 - 0.3 ha in perimeter belong to one Chief
Barizaa Dooh, a 68-year old commercial farmer and transporter.
The polycultured fish ponds had in stock tilapia (Sarotherodon sp)
red snapper (Lutjanus goreensis) and catfish (Chrysichthys
nigrodigitatus), all commercially important species killed by the
toxicity of hydrocarbons and abnormal temperature increase
occasioned by the fire factor. Other local fauna within the impacted
geographic area were dead or seen moribund as at the time of field
investigations by NDPEHRD. Carcasses of fin fish were washed
ashore. Sedentary or relatively less mobile bottom dwelling fauna were
the hard hit. Dietary crustaceans such as the hairy mangrove crab
5.
Hart, S. A. 1997; Effects of crude oil pollution on the Niger Delta. An M. Sc seminar
paper presented to the Department of Zoology, University of Port Harcourt, Port
Harcourt, Nigeria, 2 September, 1997.
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(Gionopsis pilli) fiddler crab (Uca tangeri), Sersamid crabs
(Sersama huzardi, Sersama elegans), and Swimming crabs
(Callinectes spp) were decimated. Mollusks endemic in the area
like Periwinkle (Tympanotonus fuscatus, Pachymelaria sp), dog
whelk (Thais spp), Oyster (Crassostrea gasar) were affected6.
Presently, the actual lethal and sublethal impact of the oil spill on
local biota cannot be quantified unless a detailed environmental
impact evaluation survey is conducted by experts. It is sad to point
out that, no baseline information exist on the biodiversity of the
impacted areas (published or unpublished) for possible references if
need be, should the above mentioned investigation is conducted.
7.
INEVITABLE FEARS
The oil spill incident that took place in August, 2003 in Gokana littoral
waters which affected these same communities remains also unclean
till the time of this report. Secondly, as the grossly defoliated and
suffocating mangrove belt especially along Bodo city creek is now reimpacted by crude oil, when the said mangrove swamps have not
shown signs of recovery calls for worry. In addition, oil percolating
into sediments due to tidal pumping is building up the accumulated
hydrocarbon concentration already buried in the affected areas. This
suggests the durable extent to which the oil degradation would last.
6.
Photographs of the devastated sites and other sites of significance in the area are
available at NDPEHRD’s Secretariat.
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8.
RECOMMENDATIONS
NDPEHRD7
therefore,
recommendations.
7.
proffers
the
under-listed
urgent
1.
Immediate clean up and restoration of the oiled environment.
2.
Government regulatory agencies should ensure that a
detailed investigation into the impacts of the spillage is
carried out immediately.
3.
Ecological surveys should be carried out to obtain checklists
of flora and fauna in the fragile Niger Delta basin.
4.
Adequate and independent inquiry to finding cause(s) of the
spillage be undertaken and commensurate compensations
be paid to affected persons and communities, and
5.
Oil companies should adopt operations and technology that
are friendly to the environment and also re-new pipelines
when due, to forestall avoidable spillages
This small report was researched and prepared by Mr. Nennibarini Zabbey, head of
the Conservation Programme of Niger Delta Project for Environment, Human Rights
and Development (NDPEHRD).
The organization is a rural-based, rural-focused and non-profit making organization,
founded on August 15, 1999, to respond to the problems of environment, human
rights, rural health and population and under-development plaguing the Niger Delta
region of Nigeria through participatory research, enlightenment and campaigns on the
problems confronting the peoples of the belt.