Eni, Italian energy firm on Tuesday confirmed an underwater gas leak and oil spill from an oil field operated by Nigerian Agip Oil Company (NAOC) in Kalaba, Bayelsa.

Eni, parent company of NAOC, which made the confirmation in an e-mail, said it had shut down the oil well producing some 120 barrels of oil equivalent daily feeding the leaking pipeline.

The oil and gas leakage is coming from an underwater gas pipeline beneath Taylor Creek at Kalaba community, Okordia Clan, Yenagoa local government area of Bayelsa.

An Eni spokesman stated: “I can confirm that on February 21st, we received reports of a spill on the flowline from the Taylor Creek 1T well, in Nigeria.

“As soon as the event occurred, the well production was immediately stopped (120 boed Eni’s share, mainly gas).

“Currently, a joint investigation visit (JIV) is being undertaken with representatives of the authorities and the communities involved ascertaining what went wrong and starting the repair activities and the pipeline recovery.”

Residents of Kalaba community say that the gas leaking at high pressure was causing giant bubbles at the Taylor Creek which serves as the sole source of water to the communities.

Chief Roman Orukali, Paramount Ruler of Kalaba Community had regretted that the incident had polluted the creeks and urged the oil firm to make contingency arrangements for water supply to the people.

Orukali said: “What we are seeing is the bubbling of gas; leaking from the pipe of NOAC. This was discovered in the early hours of Saturday.

“I got to hear about it first when some children were shouting that oil was bubbling and that there was a leakage.

“As a trained field monitor I also came around to see what was happening in the environment; whether what I heard was true. When I pulled down here by canoe, I discovered that it was true, gas was actually bubbling.

“Incidentally, this Creek is our only source of drinking water and where we carry out almost all domestic activities. And right now, the water is polluted and we have nothing to fall back on, Agip should provide us water.”