Renaissance Africa Energy Company Limited on Tuesday shut crude feed into the 14-inch Okordia-Rumuekpe Pipeline at Ikata in Rivers.
This follows a leak from the pipeline which has impacted the ecosystem in the community located in Ahoada East Local Government Area.
It was learnt that the spill occurred in the early hours of Monday, 5 May, 2025.
The Youths and Environmental Advocacy Centre (YEAC-Nigeria)had confirmed the spill in a statement in Port Harcourt on Tuesday
The statement signed by its Executive Director, Dr Fyneface Dumnamene Fyneface.said members of Advocacy Centre as well as those under the auspices of its Crude Oil Spill Alert System in the area, reported the spillage to the Centre.
He said, “The spill point, suspected to be tortious (third-party) interference, is seriously spilling crude oil into the environment and destroying the ecosystem in the surrounding area.
“A visit by our volunteers in the area to the spill site this morning showed that the vandals allegedly excavated the ground and vandalised the 14-inch pipe along the Okordia-Rumuekpe pipeline right of way which is currently spewing crude oil into the environment, as can also be seen in short videos and photographs shared with Advocacy Centre,”
He said the National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA) needs to carry out a joint investigation visit (JIV) to the spill site with a view of determining the actual cause of the spill and invoke the relevant section of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA), 2021, to hold the alleged perpetrators to account.
However, Spokesman of Renaissance Energy, Mr Michael Adande in reaction said the company was working with regulators to convene a Joint Investigative Visit (JIV) to the impacted site.
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JIV is a statutory probe that follows every reported oil spill incident by operator,regulators and host community to ascertain the cause, volume of spill and impacted area.
“The Renaissance Africa Energy Company Limited confirms a reported incident affecting the 14-inch Okordia-Rumuekpe Pipeline at Ikata in Rivers State.
“We have taken immediate steps to isolate and discontinue production into the pipeline to minimise any potential environmental impact.
“Government regulators have been informed, and we are actively coordinating the statutory joint investigation visit, which will include their representatives and those from the local community,” Adande stated on Tuesday.
It would be recalled that Renaissance, successor to Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria (SPDC had on March 14, announced that it has completed the acquisition of SPDC, effectively taking over onshore assets of SPDC in the Niger
