Delta community laments unabated environmental disaster one month after oil well eruption

By Ochuko Akuopha

When oil well 14 in the Oil Mining Lease (OML) 30, operated by Heritage Energy Operational Services Limited (HEOSL), suddenly erupted in the early hours of June 26, 2026, terrified residents of Uzere in Isoko South Local Government Area, Delta State, had hoped the situation would be brought under control within days.

Residents said the eruption occurred when the Christmas tree, which controls the well, sank into the soil, resulting in a ceaseless spew of crude oil, mud, sludge, condensate, and water across the area.  

However, one month after the incident, the people of Uzere, the second community in Nigeria where oil was discovered, are still gnashing their teeth over the devastation, which they say remains unabated and has caused colossal damage to their environment.

They alleged that the company had promised to bring in foreign experts to help contain the situation by July 26, and they called on the government to prevail upon the firm to do the needful.

“To date, the company has not been able to retrieve it (the Christmas tree), so they have no way of stopping the well from spewing crude oil out of the soil. What is happening in Uzere is not just an oil spillage; it is a disaster resulting from Heritage’s equipment failure. As I speak, the company has not been able to devise any means of containing what is happening in Uzere,” the President-General of the community, Chief Edward Onyagbodo, told NDV.

Onyagbodo disclosed that a major part of the agrarian community’s forest had already been covered by crude and sludge before the company prepared a bund wall around the site. Lamenting the adverse effect of the devastation on farming activities, the community leader said: “Because of fear of the gas, the entire area is restricted. This is the time for Uzere people to harvest their farm produce, but because of the restriction, those who planted in those areas cannot access their crops. Apart from that, crude oil is flowing into the water, and aquatic lives have been destroyed.

“The crude is gushing out, emitting hazardous fumes into the air. The gas coming out is dangerous to human and animal lives. It releases cancerous elements that the people of Uzere are breathing in, which is why the people are clamouring for a solution.”

He said the company had resorted to using a fleet of tankers to evacuate the spewing crude, condensate, and associated properties from the site, with nothing being done to remedy the situation. “Instead of looking for how to curtail the situation, the company is now sending tankers to Uzere to fetch the crude, as if it is something that is flowing normally.

The danger associated with what teey are doing, as it affects the indigenes, is not their concern, as far as I am concerned. The crude is gushing out, and even to date, the company has not proffered any solution. That is why the Uzere people are crying out. We are looking up to experts who can help the company curtail the situation so that it does not lead to an explosion in the community.”

Similarly, a former President- General of the community, Chief Emmanuel Ekebe, described the situation as alarming, saying it was more disturbing that the company seemed at a loss regarding how to manage the crisis. “This thing has been going on since June 26, and they said they were going to get foreign experts to remedy the situation, but up till now, there is nothing on ground to show whether foreign experts are coming or not. To compound the matter, Heritage operates on behalf of the Joint Venture partners. NNPC is the employer of Heritage, and I am very sure there are regular briefings from the Joint Venture operators.

 So, that NNPC has not reacted to a calamity of this magnitude that is threatening the lives of the people who have been contributing immensely to the commonwealth of this country is surprising.”

Saying the company was not showing empathy to the people, Ekebe warned that the devastation could escalate to neighbouring communities if not curtailed before the flood sets in. “Once it escalates, within one hour, pollution will hit other communities,” he added.

When contacted, the Chairman of Isoko South, Mr. Ovoke Warri, disclosed that he had visited the site alongside officials of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA). Calling on the people to remain calm, the council boss noted: “Our major fear is that in no distant time, because it is a flood-prone area, the water level will increase. We pray they should be able to remedy it before the flood.”

Efforts to reach the management of the company for comments were abortive at the time of filing this report.

A source, however, said the incident in Uzere was the second occurrence of its kind in the world. “It is rare. This is the second in oil and drilling activities, so the technology for addressing it is not easy to come by. The company has been doing a lot.”

He clarified that the tankers coming into the community were a palliative effort to protect the immediate environment, saying that what they are taking out is mud, sand, and a trace of gas. “While they are looking for how to contain the situation, they are contracting these trucks to move it elsewhere to protect the immediate environment,” he said.

Meanwhile, at the time of filing this report, some experts were reportedly sighted around the facility trying to proffer a solution to the situation.  

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