Oil export from oilfields in Bayelsa has resumed as Aiteo eastern exploration and Production company said it has concluded repairs on the 97 km Nembe-Bonny export line that was vandalised by unknown persons recently.
Spokesman of Aiteo, operator of the OML 28 oilfield Mr Ndiana Mathew announced the restart of the Nembe Creek Trunk Line (NCTL) in a statement issued via e-mail at the weekend.
“Aiteo confirms that our Emergency Pipeline Repair teams have successfully completed leak repair activities on all reported leak points on the NCTL.
“Consequently,all injectors have been advised to re-align and commence start-up formalities immediately and advise on theirstartupp times,” Aiteo stated.
Mathew said the development has resulted to resumption of the 150,000 barrels per day capacity oil export line, lifting the ‘Force Majeure’ on its oil exports.
However in a twist of event, the host community ( Nembe) have taken over the flow- station owned by Aiteo oil company.
The protesting women and youths, with the support from the elders and eraditional head, overpowered security personnel stationed at the oil platform and took over Nembe creek flow station.
Speaking in a telephone conversation, spokesman of the community Chief Nengi James-Oriworio accused the oil company of alleged oppression, neglect and marginalization.
He said: “we have shut down the flow station to pressure home our demands depending when the company is ready to listen and act on our demands”.
”We want the resumption of work on the integrated power project which has put on hold. We are suffering because we don’t have power supply as a host community to IOC.”
