A fire incident has been reported at Akaso 4 Wellhead, an asset operated by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company 18 Operating Limited in Rivers State.

The Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission verified the occurrence through an official statement released by its spokesperson, Olaide Shonola, on Saturday.

The occurrence, which has spread along the neighboring riverbank, reportedly took place on Friday around 11:12 pm.

NNPC 18 Operating Limited has verified that an emergency response team has been dispatched to secure the well, manage the situation, and contain the affected area using spill containment materials to prevent any further spread and environmental contamination. They are also preparing to initiate the oil recovery process promptly," Shonola stated.

She mentioned that the company had stationed a Naval Houseboat in the affected area and set up community surveillance to monitor the situation.

Although the cause of the incident remains unknown, Shonola revealed that a collaborative investigation with relevant stakeholders is in the works to determine the cause and the extent of impact.

She highlighted that the Akaso Well 4 has been inactive for a considerable period.

On the other hand, the NUPRC spokesperson disclosed that the fire at NNPC's Alakiri Well 9T, which began on February 23, 2024, is still ongoing.

"The contractor responsible for managing the situation, Kenyon International West Africa Company, is facing challenges in extinguishing the fire.

"They are now considering using the total oxygen extraction method instead of the current heat extraction method.

"The equipment fabrication is fully completed, and the contractor is awaiting mobilization from the well owners. Contractor personnel are present on-site monitoring the incident," she emphasized.

It has been reported that a meeting with the management of NNPC 18 Operating Limited is scheduled to assess the safety and reliability of its operations.

"We will provide further updates on the incident as soon as they become available," she concluded.