The Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) has screened 28 oil and gas wells around reported gas seepage locations in Bille Community, Degema Local Government Area of Rivers State, identifying three as very high risk and 10 as high risk.

The remaining 15 wells were classified as medium to low risk as investigations continue to determine the source of the gas seepage.

According to a statement from the Commission, it’s Director, Subsurface Development, NUPRC, Engr. Joseph Ogunsola, disclosed this on Thursday during a special technical session at the 44th Annual International Conference and Exhibition of the Nigerian Association of Petroleum Explorationists (NAPE), where it presented findings from its investigation into the incident.

The technical paper, titled, “Unravelling Gas Seepage and Bubbling in Nigeria: The Integrated Study Approach Towards Source Attribution,” was presented by the NUPRC.

Speaking during the session, the Director, Subsurface Development, NUPRC, Engr. Joseph Ogunsola, said the gas seepage was a new phenomenon in the Nigerian petroleum industry, prompting the Commission to constitute a team to investigate its source.

Ogunsola, who was represented by the Senior Manager, Onshore Frontier Development Drilling, Mr. Azibamikiomam John-Adumo, disclosed that one of the wells under investigation was originally drilled in search of oil but was shut down after gas was discovered.

He said the well was located approximately 2.5 kilometres from the seepage location, adding that investigations were ongoing to establish whether it was responsible for the bubbling or whether the gas originated from other nearby wells.

According to him, the distance between the seepage location and other wells in the area ranges from 2.5 to three kilometres.

He noted that the area was highly explored and hydrocarbon-charged, as demonstrated by the number of wells in its vicinity.

Providing an update on the wells workstream of the investigation, Ogunsola said the 28 wells were screened based on their proximity to the seepage locations and the reservoirs encountered during drilling.

He disclosed that the investigation team physically visited 14 wells but could not access three others because they were submerged.

During the visits, the team observed gas hissing from some wells, while some facilities were found to be corroded and others vandalised.

Ogunsola said the investigation had progressed from the first reported bubbling incident to an independent gas fingerprinting campaign within 12 months.

He recalled that the first seepage was observed in October 2025, adding that results of the independent investigation using Gas Chromatography-Isotope Ratio Mass Spectrometry (GC-IRMS) and compositional field analysis were expected in the fourth quarter of 2026.

On interventions for affected communities, he said the Commission and operators had mobilised relief materials and other support, including food supplies, medical outreach, efforts to provide potable water, fire vans and safety kits.

He, however, warned that residents might need to be evacuated if investigations established that the seepage was caused by natural geological phenomena.

According to him, tracing the migration pathways and designing subsurface interventions could be more challenging if the gas seepage was natural.

He reiterated the Commission’s commitment to a speedy, coordinated and integrated investigation to establish the source of the seepage. (The Sun)